Trump trashes Fed after first interest rate hike in 3 years
NBC News Clone summarizes the latest on: Rcrd120500 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone. This article is rewritten and presented in a simplified tone for a better reader experience.
House Republicans are sending members home until Nov. 9, punting a vote on a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until after Election Day.
What to know today
- INTEREST RATE DECISION: The Federal Reserve voted to raise interest rates for the first time since 2023 in an attempt to fight rising inflation. President Donald Trump, who spared criticism of Fed chair Kevin Warsh, responded by again calling for the central bank to cut rates. The White House characterized today's rate hike as an "unfortunate decision."
- HOUSE LEAVES TOWN EARLY: House Republicans decided to cut this week short, making today the chamber's last day in session until after the midterm elections in November. The change in schedule means the House won’t vote on a resolution from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until after Nov. 3.
- SANCTIONS AND DATA CENTER BILLS: The House this evening passed a bill that would impose new sanctions on Russia and Iran and authorize tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the vast majority of Russian oil or gas, as well as sanctions intended to limit funding for Iran’s weapons and energy sectors. It has also passed a measure that would make data centers cover the increased electricity costs they cause in communities.
- EL-SAYED MEETS SENATE DEMOCRATS: The Democratic nominee for the Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, met with Senate Democrats at their campaign headquarters in Washington this morning. Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters, who is retiring from Congress, have urged fellow Democrats to coalesce around El-Sayed, a person with knowledge of the plans said.
Coverage of this live blog has ended. For the latest news, click here.
Rep. Nancy Mace predicts midterms will be a 'bloodbath' for Republicans
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said tonight that she expects the midterm elections to be "a f---ing bloodbath" and that she doesn't think Republicans will come out on the winning side.
Mace told reporters that she is "concerned about it."
"When the economy is the way that it is, when rates are up, when the price, the affordability and the cost of living is up where it is traditionally, the majority goes the other direction in a midterm election. I fully expect that to happen," she said.
Mace also defended her vote to join all Democrats and a record six other Republicans to pass a resolution directing Trump to end the Iran war, saying that Trump needs congressional approval to continue hostilities and that the war is unpopular with voters.
"It’s why I’m surprised there weren’t more Republicans voting for the war powers resolution, because it is a, it’s a big issue when you go back home. Nobody wants to be in a war with Iran," she said.
Mace will not be returning to Congress next year. She decided not to seek re-election in favor of a gubernatorial run and ended up coming in fifth in the June primary.
Trump again claims oil prices will plummet after Iran war ends
Trump told the crowd in North Carolina tonight that gas and oil prices will "come down very quickly" after the war ends in Iran.
President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Gastonia, N.C., today. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
"You watch what happens to your oil, to your gasoline," Trump said. "It’s going to come down very quickly."
He also touted the administration's deal with Venezuela to take control of 65 million barrels of its oil reserves.
An oil tanker is anchored in Lake Maracaibo in Cabimas, Venezuela, last month. Ariana Cubillos / AP
The national average cost of gas is above $4 per gallon, up more than 40% since the war in Iran began, according to data tracked by NBC News.
Trump takes his demand for lower interest rates to the campaign trail
Trump repeated his calls for lower interest rates in North Carolina tonight after he railed against today's Fed rate hike on social media and in remarks to reporters.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
"Interest rates in the United States should be 1% or less, because we are the best credit in the world by far. With all that money pouring in, our country is booming with new investment more than anybody else ever," Trump said, echoing what he wrote on Truth Social.
He also reiterated his threat to stop trading with countries that the U.S. has a deficit with, claiming, "If we stop trading with every country that we have a deficit with, which is most of them, which would be very easy to do, would make at least $1.5 trillion a year."
Trump pauses speech in North Carolina as police remove protester
Trump commented this evening on a protester who was escorted out of the venue in Gastonia, North Carolina, where he's campaigning for Senate candidate Michael Whatley.
"What do you have, a bad guy or a good guy over there? Where is he? Who is he? Show him to me," Trump said during the incident. “Oh, oh! It’s a she. Hello. She, she’s going home to mama.”
Police escorted the protester out after she was heard shouting, "Women are being killed," shortly after Trump took the stage. The protester was wearing a white dress with what looked like blood splatted on its pleats.
Trump says Canada joining the European Union could be a 'hostile act,' threatens retaliation
Trump condemned the possibility of Canada joining the European Union as an associate member today, saying it could be a "hostile act" that would prompt him to impose more tariffs on the country.
"If they do that, if I think it's at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe," Trump told reporters in North Carolina.
He said that if Europe allows Canada, which he called a "terrible trade partner," to join the union with a "good intention, that's fine." But he added that "if it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs."
Trump earlier in the day threatened to stop trading with any countries the U.S. has a deficit with if the Federal Reserve does not lower interest rates.
Missouri election officials grapple with redistricting whiplash
Missouri election officials are rushing to prepare ballots after a Republican-drawn congressional map was invalidated at the last minute, forcing them to pivot to previous district lines.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a new map that had been used in the August primaries from going into effect for the general election. The ruling came after nearly a year of litigation that included conflicting court rulings weeks out from Election Day.
Trump says Iran war is 'hopefully' toward 'the end'
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Trump tonight again told reporters that the war in Iran is nearing an end after having made the same claim for months.
Asked what stage of the war the U.S. is in now, Trump said, "Well, hopefully, we’re toward the end of the war."
Trump has repeatedly said the war will end soon, most recently telling voters at the GOP midterm convention last week that it will "be over very shortly after the election."
Last night, a record number of House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a war powers resolution, a largely symbolic measure, urging him to stop U.S. hostilities in Iran.
Trump claims Fed decision to raise interest rates came from 'hostile board' rather than Chair Kevin Warsh
Trump said this evening that the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates today was due to a "hostile board" that Fed Chair Kevin Warsh couldn't overpower.
"I told, I talked to Kevin, and I think if you want to approach the board, it's not going to matter. The board is very hostile," Trump told reporters on the tarmac in North Carolina, where he's scheduled to speak at a rally tonight. "They're very political. They're doing the wrong thing."
Asked again about their conversation, Trump said he told Warsh, "You should do what you want," because "no matter how good a job — he’s a good man, Kevin Warsh — no matter how good a job, he’s got a hostile board."
Earlier today, Warsh defended the central bank's decision, saying at a news conference that "the plain fact is that inflation is too high and has been for too long."
Asked about Warsh's defense of the rate hike, Trump told reporters, "I don’t know what he was referring to; the interest rates are too high."
He also rejected the claim that rates were raised to combat inflation, arguing the board was "raising them only for political reasons."
U.S. accuses Russia of plot to kill a prominent dissident in Washington
The Kremlin orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot against a prominent Russian dissident in Washington this summer, the Justice Department said as it unsealed charges against five people it alleged were part of a “global assassination network” aimed at causing “destruction and mayhem around the world.”
FBI headquarters in Washington. Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
The five people are still at large, the Justice Department said in the indictment, which was unsealed late yesterday, describing the wider operation being run by Russian intelligence as “brazen, aggressive, and far-reaching.”
The FBI said it had disrupted the plot, although officials did not detail how.
House passes Russia sanctions bill named for Lindsey Graham, sending it to Trump
The House voted tonight to pass a major bill aimed at imposing sanctions on Russia and Iran, sending it to Trump for his signature.
The vote was 262-159.
The 61-page legislation, which passed the Senate 86-11 last month, is named the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, in honor of Graham, R-S.C., who was an outspoken proponent of the cause before his unexpected death in July.
The grounds of a fuel tank farm of Russia's oil pipeline giant Transneft in 2023. The legislation to impose new sanctions on Russian energy now heads to President Donald Trump. Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP via Getty Images file
The bill takes aim at Russia’s energy sector by punishing the largest buyers of its oil and gas, allowing the president to impose tariffs on goods from those countries, which may include China and India.
Kamala Harris to campaign with Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will campaign with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan next week, a spokesperson for Harris confirmed to NBC News today.
El-Sayed, a former public health official, faces one of the most competitive Senate races in the country this year against former Rep. Mike Rogers.
Getty Images file
“Vice President Harris looks forward to returning to Michigan to help turn out the vote in this critical state. While there, she will highlight the issue of Black maternal health, joined by Dr. El-Sayed,” Harris spokesperson Eduardo Negrón said in a statement. “It is critical we flip the Senate so we can bring down prices and stand up to Donald Trump’s corruption.”
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is retiring, and Democrats are seeking to hold on to his seat and potentially gain a Senate majority by flipping Republican-held seats in other states.
Sen. Rand Paul blocks Republican colleague's AI 'kill switch' bill
An artificial intelligence "kill switch" bill authored by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., was blocked on the Senate floor today by fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Kennedy sought unanimous consent to pass the bill, which would instruct companies to create a way to immediately shut down their AI models if they become dangerous. Before the vote, Kennedy took aim at Paul in his remarks on the Senate floor.
“I am told that one particular senator, who will remain nameless, is going to object and offer — and suggest that we stop and do a study," Kennedy said. "I would rather listen to O.J. jokes for the rest of eternity than agree to another summit or committee full of consultants and experts and Leonardo DiCaprio and other Hollywood stars to talk about this. We either take the risk seriously or not.”
Paul defended his stance against the bill, saying he believes senators should not implement a "blanket regulation" until they have "all the information" about AI.
“If Congress acts hastily before the technology is understood, Congress risks killing innovation and setting this technology back decades,” he said.
Kennedy said that he does not want to shut down AI but that he lives in the “real world” when it comes to the likelihood that Congress will regulate the rapidly developing technology. He argued that his bill would offer AI companies a "fire extinguisher" in case of a crisis.
“We are not going to get up off of our ice-cold, lazy butts and address this anytime soon. It’s just not going to happen, and we all know that,” he said. “But still, we’ve got this risk out there that we know is real of one of these models becoming the terminator.”
Rep. Kevin Kiley says he won't caucus with Republicans if he's re-elected
Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file
Rep. Kevin Kiley of California, who announced in March that he was switching his party affiliation from Republican to independent, said today that he will no longer caucus with the GOP next year if he's re-elected in November.
Kiley made the announcement in an interview with the news outlet Semafor.
“I’m an independent member now, and yet the rules of the House force me to say, ‘OK, as a formality, for the purposes of committee assignments, I’m going to conference with one side or the other,’” Kiley said.
He called the practice a “crazy policy” but didn’t specify how he plans to change it.
“The committee seats should belong to the American people, and you shouldn’t be denied a seat on committees just because you’re an independent member,” he added.
University of Texas students speak out after Texas GOP nominee calls them ‘foreigners’ in viral post
A handful of University of Texas students went to bed Saturday night thrilled to have witnessed one of their school’s most inspiring gridiron triumphs in recent memory.
They woke up hours later to find themselves as unwitting political footballs, caught in the middle of an ugly debate over who gets to be called an American or a Texan.
Trump urges the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, reiterates threat to cut off trading partners
Trump again demanded that the Federal Reserve lower interest rates after it decided today to raise rates to address rising inflation.
The New York Stock Exchange today. Michael Nagle / Bloomberg via Getty Images
"Interest Rates in the United States should be 1%, or less, because we are the Best Credit in the World — BY FAR. Our Country is BOOMING with new Investment!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "LOWER THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND FAST!"
Trump threatened to stop trading with "every country that we have a Deficit with, which is most of them," claiming that doing so would earn the U.S. "at least" $1.5 trillion per year.
"The word 'Deficit' is nothing more than a fancy word for LOSS. We are 'carrying' almost every country in the World, and that cannot go on any longer," he added.
Trump made the same threat over the weekend, telling reporters that he would have "no choice" but to cut off trade with some countries if the Fed did not cut interest rates.
Democratic group aims to recruit AI whistleblowers to run for office
A Democratic-aligned campaign organization, 314 Action Fund, said today it is starting a recruitment drive to persuade artificial intelligence researchers to run for political office in 2028, hoping to mobilize AI scientists, including those who have been quitting their jobs over safety concerns.
Leila Register / NBC News; Getty Images
314 Action Fund President Josh Morrow said in an interview that it plans to target computer scientists, data scientists and other AI workers who could help pass meaningful regulations.
White House calls rate hike an 'unfortunate decision'
White House senior deputy press secretary Kush Desai reacted to the Federal Reserve’s raising interest rates in an interview on Fox News this afternoon, calling it an “unfortunate decision” that was not “backed by a particularly compelling economic case.” He said persistent inflation is caused by oil prices, which have nothing to do with and are not affected by interest rates.
Kush Desai. Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
“All higher interest rates are going to do right now is stymie the significant economic progress that the United States has made under this president, under this administration,” Desai said. “It’s going to raise mortgage rates for everyday Americans. It’s going to punish businesses who are trying to expand and grow. And again, none of that gets at the core of the issue here, which are energy prices.”
At his news conference following the Fed's decision today, Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh answered questions about high oil prices, some of which are a result of the ongoing war with Iran.
"We cannot affect any individual price, whether it be oil prices, whether it be foodstuffs at the grocery store. But what we can do and will do is ensure that any change in relative prices don't broaden out, don't have second- and third-order effects in the economy," he said.
He added, "There's no hiding from hot spots around the world, and our judgment about what is the most likely or least likely of the geopolitical situation has changed."
Trump has not directly weighed in on the Fed's decision. Desai said that while Trump believes in the independence of the Federal Reserve, he “has a First Amendment right as an American citizen, and he has a duty as our commander in chief, to voice his opinions when, when things go awry.”
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles says she’s cancer-free
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles announced today that she is now cancer-free after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in March.
Alex Wong / Getty Images file
“After a medical appointment at the Mayo Clinic this week, my pathology results came back clear. I am cancer free,” she wrote on X.
Wiles, 69, who has been Trump’s White House chief of staff since the beginning of his second term, thanked him for his “unwavering support.” She added that she’s “deeply grateful and will continue to work to advance his America First Agenda.”
She first announced in mid-March that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which had been caught in the early stages, and that she had received a “strong prognosis.”
Chuck Schumer to meet with El-Sayed this afternoon, after backing his opponent in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will meet with fellow Democrat and Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed this afternoon, a source familiar with the meeting tells NBC News.
The meeting will take place at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
When asked about the meeting, El-Sayed said he is looking forward to it but would not say whether he would endorse Schumer for leader if Democrats retake the Senate.
Earlier this morning at the DSCC, around half of the Senate Democratic caucus met with El-Sayed for a meet and greet. Notably, Schumer did not attend the gathering.
Emergency hearing sought on Kennedy Center closure
Attorneys for Kennedy Center ex-officio board member Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, are seeking an emergency hearing after the center was closed to the public late yesterday.
The lawyers for Beatty, the ex-officio board member who's been challenging Trump's plan to close the center for two years while it undergoes repairs, argued the center's attorneys initially told them it had been closed yesterday because of an errant fire alarm.
In a court filing today, Beatty's attorneys said that not only is the center closed, but gates have been put up outside and construction is underway inside — actions they say appears to violate an earlier court order in the case. That order barred a previous attempt to to close the center without signoff from the judge.
Rep. Joyce Beatty addresses a crowd gathered as workers put up scaffolding prior to the removal of Trump's name from the Kennedy Center on June 12. Craig Hudson for The Washington Post / Getty Images file
“Given the unexplained and unlawful closure, it is possible Defendants intend to undertake immediate steps in order to make public access practically impossible for the foreseeable future, including by demolishing public avenues of access to the building, and thereby evade the Court’s order by fait accompli,” attorney Nathaniel Zelinsky writes in the filing.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper gave the government until 10 a.m. ET tomorrow to respond. “The Court will schedule a prompt hearing if necessary after reviewing the response,” he added.
The board voted yesterday to immediately shutter the center.
Cooper ruled in late May that a March vote to close the center was taken “without a meaningful effort to confirm the wisdom of a recommendation that could adversely affect the Center in numerous ways for years to come.”
He said that the plan couldn’t be carried out “until the Board approves any closure consistent with the Court’s Memorandum Opinion, and the Court issues a further Order dissolving or modifying this preliminary injunction.”
Beatty’s filing said the judge reiterated that position at a hearing yesterday ahead of the vote, and it now "seems Defendants may be violating the “clear and unambiguous order of the Court.”
The Trump administration is likely to argue it is not in violating the order, viewing the board’s vote yesterday as separate from the one in March.
Cooper dismissed a similar argument in a ruling yesterday about the board's revised effort to add the name of its chairman, President Trump, to the building's facade, finding it was using "linguistic gymnastics" to try sidestep his ruling.
Despite the closure, the board said some programming will continue inside a physically separate, newer, and much smaller building on the Kennedy Center’s campus. There are free events scheduled between Thursday and Sunday each week over at that building, called ”The REACH.”
House votes to hold Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt of Congress
The House of Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday to find billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to a congressional probe into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Members passed the measure by unanimous consent one day after the House Oversight Committee voted 41-0 recommending the full House take action against Black for refusing to fully cooperate with its investigation into Epstein.
Trump AI adviser calls for transparency and audits into cutting-edge AI while labeling latest concerns a 'hoax'
David Sacks, the former White House AI czar and current chair of President Donald Trump's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, said that he would welcome more transparency into the country's most advanced AI companies to make sure they are developing AI safely.
"I believe in transparency. I believe in audits," Sacks said, appearing via video call during the POLITICO Decoded Summit Wednesday afternoon. "I think we should be monitoring what's happening in these labs," he said.
Sacks' endorsement of such measures is notable given his usual rejection of almost all forms of AI regulation. Sacks, a tech investor, has routinely charged that various AI bills proposed by Congress would stifle American AI innovation and give geopolitical rivals an advantage in global AI competition.
David Sacks at the White House in 2025. Samuel Corum / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
While serving in the White House earlier this year, Sacks loudly advocated for a moratorium on state AI laws, charging that any AI laws should be light-touch and decided only at the federal level.
While acknowledging that AI systems pose risks and should be evaluated and monitored carefully, Sacks said Wednesday the recent firestorm of worries that AI could cause catastrophic or even existential damage to humans was a "hoax" meant to influence elections just seven weeks before Election Day. Sacks echoed President Trump's Truth Social posts from Monday, which dismissed recent worries as a hoax.
Sacks said that leading AI companies like Anthropic or OpenAI should take ultimate responsibility for their products. "If they tell us that their projects are unsafe, they also need to tell us how they're going to make them safe. Or they should stop building them," he said.
Fed raises interest rates for first time since 2023, defying Trump as inflation mounts
The Federal Reserve today raised its benchmark interest rates for the first time since 2023, in a move aimed at slowing inflation that picked up again last month.
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building in Washington. Ting Shen / Bloomberg via Getty Images file
The Fed’s hike of 0.25% brings the central bank’s flagship rate to between 3.75% and 4.00%.
The Fed’s policymakers unanimously supported the rate hike and signaled one more interest rate hike could come before the end of the year.
“Uncertainty remains elevated owing, in part, to geopolitical developments,” the Federal Reserve statement read. “Today’s policy action will support a timelier return to the Committee’s 2 percent goal.”
The hike could also be the start of a rate-hiking cycle. Historically, when a central bank raises rates once, it follows that up with multiple additional increases.
Released alongside the Fed’s rate decision today were economic projections. As of this week, 16 members of the Fed forecast another rate increase this year.
Democratic senators leave meeting with El-Sayed excited about his Senate campaign in Michigan
Democratic senators who attended a closed-door meet-and-greet event on Capitol Hill today with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed left expressing excitement about his campaign and said they want to offer their support.
“I’m all in, and I think my colleagues are all in," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told reporters outside of the headquarters of the Senate Democrats' fundraising arm.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said there was “a lot of enthusiasm” and “it was very informal."
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., whose seat El-Sayed is running for, said that "Democrats are coming together," and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said, “He’s a great candidate, he’s going to win, and we are all united.”
The lawmakers who attended made up about half of the Senate Democratic Caucus. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., didn't attend.
The other senators who left the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee included Elissa Slotkin of Michigan; Mark Kelly of Arizona; Tina Smith of Minnesota; Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire; Adam Schiff of California; Andy Kim of New Jersey; Alex Padilla of California; Ed Markey of Massachusetts; Cory Booker of New Jersey; Dick Durbin of Illinois; Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island; Martin Heinrich of New Mexico; Patty Murray of Washington; and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico.
El-Sayed is running against Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in the general election. The race is considered one of the most competitive Senate races this November. El-Sayed has faced backlash throughout the 2026 election cycle because of his positions on Israel, responses to antisemitism and association with far-left streamer Hasan Piker.
As a result, it's one of the key races where Jewish voters who have reliably voted for Democrats are wrestling with how to vote.
Ted Cruz says there's 'plenty of time' for a 2028 conversation with no one like Trump in line
In a conversation on the New York Post podcast “Pod Force One,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, dodged on whether he would run for president again in 2028.
Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images
"I think there will be plenty of time to have that conversation, but the time to have it is after the midterms, not before," Cruz said, referring to a potential presidential campaign.
No candidate on either side of the aisle has committed yet to a presidential run. With Trump ineligible to seek a third term in office, 2028 will mark the first presidential election since 2012 without Trump on the ballot.
Asked by host Miranda Devine whether he believed the 2028 primary will be an anointment of one person, Cruz said he thinks "we are going to have a full and vigorous primary and discussion."
"I think the voters are going to decide who are we and what do we believe, and, and that matters, and President Trump is a unique historical figure," Cruz said. "I’m going to say right now there is no Donald Trump on the horizon to succeed."
Trump has floated both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential 2028 contenders. NBC News reported last week that Rubio said he has "no plans at this time" to run for president. Other potential Republican 2028 contenders include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
New bill could allow victims of sexual abuse to speak out despite nondisclosure agreements
House Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., introduced a bill today that would void nondisclosure agreements that prohibit victims of sexual abuse from disclosing information about that abuse.
The legislation comes amid Comer’s work on the Oversight Committee investigating the crimes of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
“During our investigation, we’ve learned how powerful men weaponized nondisclosure agreements to silence survivors of sexual abuse,” Comer said in a news release. “The Survivor’s Voice Protection Act ensures individuals with information about sexual abuse and survivors can speak freely about these crimes, despite any nondisclosure agreements.”
The legislation would also define the term “grooming” in federal law for the first time, though some states have classified grooming as a criminal offense. It would also establish a fiduciary's duty to report any witnessed grooming of a minor that is believed to lead to criminal sexual abuse to law enforcement.
The legislation "takes steps to prevent the grooming of minors and ensure accountability for those seeking to exploit children,” Comer announced in the release.
Would-be Trump killer practiced 100-yard shot day before Pennsylvania assassination attempt, FBI documents show
Thomas Matthew Crooks became increasingly obsessed with guns and long-range shooting before he tried to assassinate Donald Trump on the campaign trail in July 2024, according to newly unclassified documents released by the FBI.
Donald Trump is helped off the stage by U.S. Secret Service agents after an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in July 2024. Gene J. Puskar / AP
Crooks, a 20-year-old engineering student, spent the day before he fired at Trump at the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club in Clairton, Pennsylvania, where he practiced shooting once a week on average, according to the federal files. He was a “terrible shot” at first, his father told investigators, according to documents cited by the New York Post, but he diligently practiced on his own and at shooting ranges.
Republicans to send House home tonight until after November midterm elections
House Republicans have decided to cut this week short, making today the last day in session until after the midterm elections in November.
The House was originally scheduled to be in session tomorrow, but Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his leadership team canceled it this morning.
The last House votes will take place around 4:45 p.m. ET today, and members aren't scheduled to return to Washington until Nov. 9, the week after the midterms.
House Speaker Mike Johnson talks with reporters today. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
The cancellation of votes tomorrow means the House won't have to address a resolution by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war until November.
Asked if the cancellation was made to avoid the vote on Massie's measure, Johnson told reporters: "That’s ridiculous. It’s a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. It will immediately be tabled, of course, but we probably won’t do that today. We’ll probably do it when we come back, but it’s a stunt. Secretary Hegseth has done an extraordinary job."
The House is scheduled to vote this afternoon on a Russia and Iran sanctions bill that passed the Senate last month and a bipartisan bill aimed at making data centers cover the increased electricity costs they cause in their communities.
Kennedy Center closes for renovations amid naming battle
The Trump-backed board of the Kennedy Center voted to close the main building for $250 million worth of repairs. The president said that “the reconstruction and the renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place” until his name gets added to the building. NBC News’ Hallie Jackson reports for "TODAY."
House to vote on Russia and Iran sanctions, data center electricity costs
The House will vote this afternoon on a Russia and Iran sanctions bill that passed the Senate last month.
The aftermath of a Russian missile and drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, last week. Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos via Getty Images file
The legislation would allow the president to impose targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the vast majority of Russian oil or gas and that enable Russian sanctions evasion. The bill would limit these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas and top five countries that aid Russia’s energy sanctions evasion.
The bill passed the Senate, 86-11. It will need a simple majority to pass the House.
The House will also vote on a bipartisan bill aimed at making data centers cover the increased electricity costs they cause in their communities. The bill will be considered under an expedited process known as suspension of the rules, which means it will need support from two-thirds of members to pass.
Democrats call on GOP leaders to keep House in session to address AI development risks
A group of House Democrats sounding the alarm about AI development is calling on Republican leaders to keep Congress in session the rest of the month instead of sending lawmakers home at the end of the week.
"Congress must act and pass legislation. We have bills, many bills, that have broad bipartisan consensus, and that will be a starting place. We also must enact broader regulation to address systemic safety risks," Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said at a Capitol Hill news conference on the issue.
He and Reps. Lori Trahan, D-Mass.; Ted Lieu, D-Calif.; and Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., called on Republicans to cancel the recess slated for the last two weeks of September and keep the House in session.
They accused House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., of ignoring the risks surrounding AI. "Leader Johnson has had a long track record of sticking his head in the sand and ignoring the AI risks that we’re seeing now," Lieu told reporters.
"He literally changed the House calendar to give us two more weeks of vacation time," Trahan said. "That is completely out of touch with American people. It is a wrong decision, and we are asking Speaker Johnson to reverse that decision."
After this week, the House is slated to be out of session until after the midterm elections in early November.
Jacobs added: "Speaker Johnson has been twiddling his thumbs and preaching that Big Tech can police itself. It can’t. It’s our job, and we’re not doing it."
Reached for comment, the speaker's office pointed to remarks Johnson made to reporters yesterday when he said that he called for a meeting of AI platform providers and mentioned that a meeting is expected at the White House this week or next.
"There’ll be a deliberate discussion about the responsibility of the companies to maintain safety and what role, if any, the government has to play in that. But again, we do not want to jump in — the reflex of legislative bodies is to cover things up with red tape and hyper-regulation," Johnson said. "If you do that, then you lose your edge and that is a national security concern for the American people. … We will strike the right balance, but we are not going to act irrationally or haphazardly because that could have negative secondary effects."
Abdul El-Sayed to meet with Democrats today in Washington
The Michigan Democratic nominee for the Senate, Abdul El-Sayed, will be in Washington today to meet with Democrats.
Senate Democrats will do a “meet and greet” with El-Sayed at their campaign headquarters at 11 a.m. ET, according to three people with knowledge of the plans.
The informal meeting comes as Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, whose seat Democrats are fighting to keep, urged fellow Democrats yesterday to set aside their differences and coalesce around El-Sayed, one of the people said.
El-Sayed is also expected to meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to a source familiar with that meeting. The CBC’s political action committee endorsed him last week.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP file
Trump administration spent $9.5 billion last year on employee leave, driven by DOGE-era cuts
The Trump administration spent an estimated $9.5 billion last year on paid administrative leave for federal workers as it pushed to cut costs by shrinking the government, according to a Government Accountability Office report yesterday.
Agencies’ use of paid administrative leave jumped by 435% from 2023 to 2025, the report found, and salary costs from such leave rose sixfold. That coincides with Trump’s decision in 2025 to create the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk, which enacted mass firings and dissolved the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Elon Musk shows off a "DOGE" shirt in 2025. Oliver Contreras / AFP - Getty Images file
Kash Patel defends FBI’s new policy on bestiality at Senate hearing
FBI Director Kash Patel yesterday found himself defending a new policy at the bureau that does not immediately disqualify potential hires who have engaged in bestiality.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, some senators grilled Patel about the new standards, which he said were established so as not to discriminate against potential victims of sex trafficking who were forced to perform acts of bestiality.
Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Obamas announce death of former 'first dog' Sunny
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama announced this morning that their dog, Sunny, died yesterday.
In a statement posted on social media with photos, they said that they got Sunny during Obama's second term in the White House and "immediately fell in love." Sunny joined "first dog" Bo, both Portuguese water dogs.
"Athletic and full of boundless energy, she leapt over the hedges on the South Lawn like they weren’t even there, chasing squirrels, birds and anything else that moved," they wrote. "And whereas the way to Bo’s heart usually involved a treat, Sunny was more interested in having us run around with her, roll on the floor with her, or have her belly rubbed for as long as we were willing."
Sunny on the North Lawn of the White House in 2013. Jewel Samad / AFP via Getty Images file
They said Sunny loved their daughters, Sasha and Malia, and was "fiercely protective of Bo."
"She had her eccentricities: other than Bo, she preferred people to dogs; she was a loud and sloppy drinker; and despite being a Portuguese Water Dog, she hated getting wet," they said.
The Obamas added: "As far as our family was concerned, she was pretty much perfect, and for thirteen years, she would be by our side — always loyal, always sweet, always ready for adventure, still fiery and gorgeous till the very end of her days."
It's unclear how old Sunny was, as she was a little over a year old when she joined the family.
Bo died in May 2021 at the age of about 12 years old.
Abortion rights group announces spending plans for three House races in battleground states
Reproductive Freedom for All, an abortion rights advocacy organization, announced today that it will spend $1 million to fund voter outreach for House races in Arizona, Michigan and Nevada.
The spending will support funding for paid canvassing and voter engagement in support of three congressional candidates: physician and former state lawmaker Amish Shah in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, former special victims prosecutor Christina Hines in Michigan's 10th Congressional District, and Rep. Susie Lee in Nevada's 3rd Congressional District.
Funding will also contribute to canvassing in support of a Nevada ballot measure that would add protections for abortion rights to the state's constitution. The measure passed in 2024 but requires another win at the ballot box to get across the finish line.
“Control of Congress — and our ability to fight back against national attacks on reproductive freedom — could come down to these races with razor-thin margins," Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, said in a statement today. "This investment will power meaningful conversations with voters about what is at stake and why electing champions of reproductive freedom is crucial this November."
The funding comes as an appeals court in Louisiana heard arguments last week on whether to tighten prescribing rules for mifepristone as anti-abortion groups seek to block the medication from being accessible through telehealth in states where abortion in banned.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., raised the issue yesterday, asking FBI Director Kash Patel at a congressional hearing whether he would commit to looking into the U.S. Postal Service's role in delivering the drug to people in states where abortion is banned or limited.
The renewed challenges come after the Supreme Court ruled in May to protect access to mifepristone though the mail, without enforcing in-person appointments with clinicians.
Senate votes to move forward with Protect College Sports Act
The Senate voted last evening to advance the Protect College Sports Act, an NCAA-backed, bipartisan bill aimed at setting federal guidelines for college sports amid a rapidly shifting landscape.
The measure advanced on a 74-24 vote; it needed 60. Timing on a vote for final passage in the Senate is unclear. The legislation would still need to pass the House if it makes it through the Senate.
The bill aims to set a national standard regarding issues that include years of eligibility, how often players can transfer, compensation and more. It would also grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption and prevent future legal challenges over such rules. Professional leagues, such as the NFL and the NBA, have antitrust exemptions. But athletes in those leagues collectively bargain over the rules.
House panel votes to hold Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt
The House Oversight Committee voted yesterday to recommend the full House find billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress over his refusal to comply with subpoenas related to its probe into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The bipartisan vote was unanimous, 41-0.
Black, a private equity investor who had a business relationship with Epstein, voluntarily sat for a closed-door transcribed interview with the Republican-led committee in late June but left before it was over, after lawmakers complained he wasn’t answering their questions. As a result, they issued subpoenas for him to turn over more information.
He didn’t show up for a later deposition the committee scheduled and sued it, seeking to block the subpoenas for his appearance and nondisclosure agreements tied to Epstein.
Trump and the Federal Reserve are on a collision course over interest rates
Trump berated Jerome Powell for years as he sought to pressure Powell, then the Federal Reserve chairman, to cut interest rates. So far, he has given a pass to the new Fed chief, whom he nominated this year.
Now, not even four months into Warsh’s tenure, the honeymoon might be over. Trump has ratcheted up his calls for an interest rate cut in recent weeks, setting the stage for a potential showdown after today’s decision from Fed policymakers.
Warsh faces a “time to choose,” as economists at UBS put it: Will the Fed hold its key rate steady yet again in the face of rising inflation, or will it increase the rate to battle stubbornly high prices — and potentially enrage Trump?
Trump adviser Kevin Hassett, chair of the National Economic Council, said he thinks the “president will have something to say about it” if the Fed makes a “big move” with rates. (Hassett was a candidate for the Fed job before Trump picked Warsh.)
