House GOP, DOJ go to court over Biden, special counsel interview tapes
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are in court on Monday, Oct. 28, against Attorney General Merrick Garland. The case stems from a lawsuit filed in July seeking the release of audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur during the Department of Justice’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Hur’s investigation concluded without recommending criminal charges against the president, but his findings sparked controversy. In his 345-page report, Hur described Biden as “an elderly man with a poor memory.”
“My task was to determine whether the president retained or disclosed national defense information willfully,” Hur said during his testimony in front of the House committee. “I could not make that determination without assessing the president’s state of mind. My assessment of the president’s memory was necessary and accurate and fair.”
Hur’s report questioned Biden’s age and mental competence. According to Hur, Biden expressed confusion during the interview, particularly regarding significant dates, such as the timing of his son Beau’s death.
Biden, the White House and fellow Democrats expressed dissatisfaction with Hur’s portrayal. Vice President Kamala Harris called it “politically motivated.” Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee criticized Hur for not recommending charges.
Seeking more information about Biden’s answers, the committee called for the release of the audio recordings. Although the transcript of the interview was released, Republicans argued that it was insufficient.
In June, the House voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress after the White House refused to provide the audio, asserting executive privilege over the recordings.
“Audio recordings are better evidence than transcripts of what happened during the special counsel’s interviews with President Biden,” the GOP lawsuit states. “For example, they contain verbal and nonverbal context that is missing from a cold transcript. That verbal and nonverbal context is quite important here because the special counsel relied on the way that President Biden presented himself during their interview — ‘as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory’ — when ultimately recommending that President Biden should not be prosecuted for unlawfully retaining and disclosing classified information.”
Meanwhile, the Justice Department is asking the court to dismiss the case, arguing that “the committee’s vanishingly small informational needs come nowhere close to overcoming the assertion of privilege. For these reasons, the court should rule in favor of the department.”
Bipartisan assassination task force cites ‘stunning’ failures leading to PA attempt
A new bipartisan U.S. House task force report reveals significant security failures in the lead-up to the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump occurred. The report criticizes a breakdown in communication between the Secret Service and local law enforcement, which allowed a gunman to fire from a rooftop just 150 yards from Trump.
The 53-page interim report, authored by seven Republicans and six Democrats, highlights the failure to hold crucial joint meetings with state and local agencies before the event.
AP Images
Investigators found that the building where the shooter was located was placed outside the security perimeter despite having clear sight lines to the stage and an elevated vantage point.
Local sniper teams were stationed in the building but had a limited field of vision and were unaware that securing the roof was their responsibility.
The report also faults law enforcement for failing to engage the shooter, whose suspicious behavior went unnoticed due to fragmented communication. Ultimately, the task force concluded that the events of July 13 were preventable.
The task force plans to release a final report with legislative recommendations by Dec. 13. Members may also visit the site of a second assassination attempt in Florida later this year.
Republicans, Democrats push vastly different platforms in battle for the House
While the presidential election is getting most of the national attention, there is a fierce battle this election cycle for control of the House of Representatives. Republicans are trying to hold on to their slim majority.
Republicans currently occupy 220 seats. Democrats have 213 representatives. There are also two vacancies. Democratic leaders are pushing the idea that they only need to flip four seats to take back control of the House.
This week, at a speech at the New York Stock Exchange, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., laid out five main policy points, saying, “the survival of the American dream depends on our victory.”
The five priorities for the GOP are:
Enhanced tax breaks including the need for a child tax credit.
Confronting China.
Rolling back environmental regulations.
Education such as school choice.
Cutting the national debt by reducing the size of the federal government.
Democrats recently outlined their key platforms at the national convention. Restoring abortion rights and advancing green energy initiatives, in order to create jobs while slowing climate change, are on the list.
Other priorities include, capping child care costs for low-income families and urging Congress to approve a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who have been in the United States long term, but are here illegally.
All 435 seats in the House are up for election in November.
Lawmaker, FCC commissioner clash over Trump call to strip ABC’s license
A House Democrat and senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission went head to head Thursday, Sept 19. Their argument was over former President Donald Trump’s call to strip ABC’s broadcast license following his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Since the debate on Sept. 10, Trump said ABC was dishonest for how the moderators handled the debate. Trump appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Gutfeld!” Wednesday, Sept. 18.
“I think my only regret is that I wanted to be elegant, and I didn’t want to go after the anchors,” Trump said. “I wish I did, in a way.”
Representative Ro Khanna, D-Calif., questioned Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr about the comments Trump made after the debate. Khanna and Carr continued to talk over each other, while going back and forth.
“Let me try one last time, based on the debate, did you think that the questions were unfair or rigged in a way that calls for ABC’s license to be revoked the way President Trump has been very clear,” Khanna said. “I respect he’s very clear on his view. Do you agree or disagree with his view? It’s a yes or no.”
“I think my position has been very clear going back to 2017,” Carr responded. “I maintained a very consistent position, but if your concern is weaponization, we should talk about that. When President Biden stood at the White House podium and said Elon Musk is worth being looked at and then all of a sudden the FCC abruptly reversed is a 2020 decision to get him $885 million to bring broadband to 640,000 people. I think that’s concerning. When Democrats in Congress write letters to cable companies, ask him to drop Fox News because of the decisions. I think that’s concerning.”
“I think you’ve seen from my record a consistent pattern of always basing my decisions at the FCC based on the law, the facts and the First Amendment,” Carr continued. “That’s what I’ve done. That’s what I’ll always do.”
ABC has not responded to Trump’s comments. This week, the network released viewership numbers, reporting that “World News Tonight with Daivd Muir” grew by 9% compared to the same time last year.
Iranian hackers sent stolen Trump campaign info to Biden campaign staffers: FBI
Both parties are responding after the FBI said Iranian hackers sent stolen information from the Trump campaign to members of President Biden’s campaign. And a second round of explosions in Lebanon — this time involving walkie-talkies — leaves at least 20 dead. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024.
FBI: Iranian hackers sent stolen Trump campaign info to Biden campaign staffers
Iranian hackers stole information from former President Donald Trump’s campaign over the summer and sent it to people affiliated with then-Democratic candidate President Joe Biden’s campaign. That’s according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The statement said there is no indication Biden’s campaign ever replied to the emails.
A spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign said a few individuals were targeted on their personal emails but were not aware of any material being sent directly to the campaign. Her campaign also said it condemns any effort by foreign actors to interfere in U.S. elections.
During a rally in Uniondale, New York Wednesday night, Sept. 18, former President Trump addressed the hack.
“Iran hacked into my campaign,” he told his supporters. “I don’t know what the hell they found. I’d like to find out, couldn’t have been too exciting, but they gave it to the Biden campaign. I can’t believe it. Oh yes, I can. But this is really foreign election interference. This is real election interference.”
U.S. officials said this was just one of several attempts by Iran to “undermine the confidence of our electoral process.” Earlier this year, it was reported that Iranian-backed hackers stole Trump campaign documents and shared them with news agencies including Politico, The New York Times, and the Washington Post.
The Iranian government has denied the allegations of meddling in the U.S. elections.
It’s not only Iran as Microsoft said this week that Russia has targeted Vice President Harris’ campaign by spreading conspiracy theories online.
Executives from tech companies including Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet testified in a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday on foreign threats to U.S. elections.
Microsoft President Brad Smith said while the presidential race is between Trump and Harris, it has become an election of “Iran versus Trump and Russia versus Harris.”
Second wave of explosions hit Lebanon; Israel declares ‘new era’ of war
Like the pager explosions on Tuesday, Sept. 17, that left a dozen people dead and thousands hurt, the walkie-talkie explosions are believed to have been orchestrated by Israel, according to the United States and other countries briefed on the incident.
Israel has not commented but the country’s military leader did say a “new era” of war is beginning and said its “center of gravity is moving north,” potentially a reference to Israel’s border with Lebanon.
The attacks, which are believed to have been targeting Hezbollah, have left dozens of fighters and civilians dead.
Israel, a key ally to the U.S., did warn Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday it was going to carry out an operation in Lebanon, but multiple sources familiar with the matter said details were not given.
Teamsters union not endorsing a 2024 presidential candidate
The Teamsters have opted not to endorse former President Trump or Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election. It’s the first time in decades the union has chosen not to endorse any candidate.
The decision came just two days after union leaders met with Harris and months after meeting with Trump.
While opting not to endorse anyone, the Teamsters did release data from internal surveys showing most of its members support Trump (59%) over Harris (34%).
House GOP fails to pass Johnson’s stopgap funding bill
Three Democrats crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the stopgap bill, but 14 Republicans voted against it, ultimately causing it to fail. Johnson said afterward he’d draft a new bill to keep the government funded past Oct. 1.
Body found during search for Kentucky highway shooter
Authorities had been searching for 32-year-old Joseph Couch since Sept. 7, when police say Couch shot and injured five people on Interstate 75.
On Wednesday afternoon, the remains were found by two state troopers alongside two civilians who said they were trying to help find the suspect. The troopers were drawn to the site after noticing vultures circling above and a strong odor in the search area.
Authorities said a weapon was discovered alongside the body believed to be Couch. The remains have been sent to the coroner’s office for positive identification.
Lionsgate announces deal with AI company Runway to ‘augment’ films
Artificial intelligence is coming to a theater near you. Lionsgate — the studio behind film franchises like “John Wick” and “The Hunger Games” has announced a deal with AI research company Runway, whose backers include Google and chipmaker NVIDIA.
The deal involves Runway’s creation and training of a new AI model that Lionsgate’s filmmakers can use to “augment their work.” Lionsgate said it expects to save “millions and millions of dollars” using Runway’s technology.
Lionsgate Vice Chair Michael Burns said AI is seen as a great tool for “enhancing and supplementing” the studio’s current operations. Burns told The Wall Street Journal, “We do a lot of action movies, so we blow a lot of things up and that is one of the things Runway does.”
Hezbollah blames Israel for deadly pager explosions
Hezbollah is blaming Israel after pagers used by the militant group exploded killing at least nine people and injuring thousands. And former President Donald Trump holds his first campaign event since the second apparent assassination attempt on his life. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.
Hezbollah blames Israel for deadly pager explosions
Multiple explosions in Lebanon have killed at least nine people and left nearly 3,000 injured. Explosives inside pagers used by the militant group Hezbollah were set off Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 17.
The Iran-backed group blames Israel for the attack. Hezbollah said an 8-year-old was among those killed and Iran’s envoy to Beirut was among the injured.
Sources told Reuters Israel’s Mossad spy agency had planted the explosives inside 5,000 pagers. An American source and other officials confirmed to the New York Times that Israel was behind the operation.
The pagers appeared to be from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. In a statement released Wednesday, Sept. 18, Gold Apollo said they were manufactured by another company based in Budapest that was authorized to use Gold Appollo’s brand.
Hezbollah fighters have been using pagers to bypass Israeli location-tracking following a warning by group leaders earlier this year saying cell phones were more dangerous than Israeli spies.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel began exchanging strikes shortly after Hamas’ deadly terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Tuesday’s blasts add to the growing concern over a larger war in the Middle East.
Secretary of State of Antony Blinken will be in Egypt Wednesday to work on securing a cease-fire agreement to put an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas and see the release of the hostages who remain in Gaza.
Trump, Harris both use assassination attempt to highlight policy proposals
Former President Donald Trump was back on the campaign trail Tuesday, holding his first event since the second apparent attempt on his life over the weekend. During a town hall in Flint, Michigan Trump told Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders the assassination attempts are proof his policy proposals are powerful.
“It’s a dangerous business however, being president,” Trump said. “It’s a little bit dangerous. It’s, you know, they think racecar driving is dangerous. No. They think bull-riding, that’s pretty scary, right? No, this is a dangerous business and we have to keep it safe.”
He later added, “You know, only consequential presidents get shot at.”
Trump also said both President Joe Biden and, his opponent in the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris called him after the assassination attempt, saying it was “very nice” and he appreciated it.
“Not everybody has Secret Service,” Harris said, “and there are far too many people in our country right now who are not feeling safe. I mean, I look at Project 2025 and I look at the ‘don’t say gay laws’ coming out of Florida. Members of the LGBTQ community don’t feel safe right now. Immigrants or people with an immigrant background don’t feel safe right now. Women don’t feel safe right now.”
Both candidates are focusing on swing areas that could decide the election, which is expected to be a close one.
Trump is set to campaign in New York, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina this week. Harris will also stop in Washington as well as Michigan and Wisconsin in the coming days.
Speaker Johnson to bring spending bill up for vote
House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to put his short-term spending plan up for a vote Wednesday, though there are signs it will not get the GOP support needed to pass.
Johnson previously pulled a stopgap bill that was coupled with the SAVE Act — which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections — after it became clear it was unlikely to get enough Republican approval to pass. House Democrats also opposed the plan, though it would keep the government funded through most of March.
Congress has until the end of September to pass at least a temporary measure keeping the government open, otherwise a shutdown looms Oct. 1.
Federal Reserve expected to cut interest rates for first time since 2020
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time since 2020. However, it’s not yet known by how much.
Straight Arrow News Business Correspondent Simone Del Rosario has a closer look here.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denied bail in racketeering, sex trafficking case
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail and will remain in custody as he faces serious charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Authorities say Combs will be held by himself at a “special housing unit” in a detention center in Brooklyn.
In a federal courtroom in New York City on Tuesday, Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges he’s facing. Prosecutors allege that Combs used his business empire to force women into engaging in sexual acts with professional sex workers and himself.
Prosecutors allege that in late 2023, following public accusations of these crimes, Combs and his associates attempted to pressure victims into silence through bribery.
If convicted on all charges, Combs faces decades in prison.
Billie Jean King to make history as Congressional Gold Medal recipient
Tennis hall of famer Billie Jean King is being recognized with a prestigious Congressional Gold Medal for her efforts on and off the tennis court.
The measure had already passed the Senate and on Tuesday night, it passed the House, making Billie Jean King the first individual female athlete to ever receive the congressional honor.
🚨 History made! 🚨 The House just passed my bipartisan, bicameral bill to award my friend, @BillieJeanKing, legendary athlete, and ardent advocate, the Congressional Gold Medal, making her the first female athlete to ever receive this honor—yet another iconic trailblazing moment… pic.twitter.com/kbkkym0aVN
“Mister speaker, it is now time to enshrine Billie Jean King’s legacy as not only a champion of tennis, but a champion of equality whose impact will continue to inspire women and girls and people across America and across the world,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said before the measure was passed.
After receiving the news that she would receive the Congressional Gold Medal, King took to X to say, “Thank you. I am deeply humbled and honored.”
Johnson’s government spending plan on rocky ground as shutdown looms
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., effort to approve a temporary government spending plan is on rocky ground. His bill would keep the government open for six months at current funding levels and require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Both Democrats and the right flank of the Republican Party oppose the bill.
“House Republicans are leading us toward a government shutdown.” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said.
“The worst thing that Republicans in the House can do is create a fake fight that the base knows they’re lying about and frustrate our voters going into Nov. 5,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said. “That’s how you lose the House of Representatives on[sic] an election.”
Congress needs to approve funding by Sept. 30 to avoid a shutdown. Both sides have different issues with Johnson’s spending plan.
Republicans who oppose the bill do not think it sufficiently reduces spending, after all, a continuing resolution is an extension of the current budget.
“You have to vote for a continuing resolution that continues the Biden administration’s budget that pays for the Green New Deal that pays for all these horrific things that all these people are sick of,” Greene said. “It’s absurd.”
Republicans are also concerned Johnson could remove the measure to require proof of citizenship for voter registration once Senate Democrats refuse to approve it. But Johnson said he is standing strong.
“I am resolved on this and I don’t know what more I can say to show that conviction,” Johnson said.
House Democrats are also opposed to the measure. It appears a clean continuing resolution that keeps everything exactly as it is now with no strings attached is becoming increasingly likely.
“The only way to pass a government funding bill is to pass it on a bipartisan basis,” Aguilar said.
Typically, when congressional leadership in either party bring forward a bill they know will not be signed into law, they do it to strengthen their negotiating position. If they can get all the members of their party behind to vote for it, they have a lot more leverage. But in this case, Johnson will lose leverage if he brings this up for a vote and a number of Republicans vote against it.
The federal government’s budget for fiscal year 2025, which goes from October 2024 to September 2025, is supposed to be finalized this year, under this Congress and this president. Pushing it to March means the new president and new Congress would finalize the spending bills.
There is disagreement on how long a continuing resolution should last, with suggestions between three and six months. That will also need to be sorted out.
Congress will leave DC for October. Can it avoid a government shutdown?
Sept. 30 is a very important day in Washington, D.C., for two reasons: it is when Congress is set to leave for the entire month of October so lawmakers can campaign, and it is also the deadline to approve government funding. The new federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1, so the government will shut down if Congress does not pass a spending bill by then.
Lawmakers have three weeks to make this happen, and they are not off to a great start.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wants the House to vote on a continuing resolution that would fund the government until March 28, 2025. That kicks the can down the road for six months, after a new Congress and president are sworn in.
The vote is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 11, but it appears dead on arrival.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, N.Y., called the proposal extreme and unacceptable.
“Last spring, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act, reached negotiated funding levels for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 and agreed not to include partisan policy changes in any appropriations legislation,” Jeffires wrote in a letter to his colleagues. “Despite the existence of a previously agreed upon spending framework, extreme MAGA Republicans have decided to abandon their commitment to the American people in order to enact Trump’s Project 2025 agenda.”
Senate Democrats also oppose Johnson’s bill.
“Avoiding a government shutdown requires bipartisanship, not a bill drawn up by one party,” they said in a statement. “Speaker Johnson is making the same mistake as former Speaker McCarthy did a year ago, by wasting precious time catering to the hard MAGA right.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described the negative impacts of a continuing resolution on the military.
“A six-month CR would set us significantly behind in meeting our pacing challenge highlighted in our National Defense Strategy – the People’s Republic of China (PRC),” Austin wrote in a statement. “The PRC is the only global competitor with both the intent and capability to change the international order. The PRC does not operate under CRs.”
Democrats want a three-month spending bill that deals with measures including the upcoming debt ceiling deadline on Jan. 1.
So what does Johnson’s proposal do?
It funds the government mostly at current levels through March.
It provides an extra $12 billion for the VA and $2 billion for building Virginia Class submarines.
It includes a provision that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Because Democrats and Republicans are so far apart, if past is prologue, Congress will likely approve a clean CR that keeps everything exactly as it is now, at the last minute.
Rep. Jim Jordan investigating why Tulsi Gabbard is on TSA terror watchlist
Former Democratic Representative and current Army Reserve Officer Tulsi Gabbard recently announced legal action against the Biden administration after she found out she is on a secretive Transportation Security Administration (TSA) terror watchlist known as Quiet Skies. On Wednesday, Aug. 21, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, announced he is requesting TSA whistleblowers who leaked the revelations to come forward.
In addition, Jordan is also asking the TSA to release all documents pertaining to Gabbard’s surveillance under its Quiet Skies program.
Jordan wants to know why Gabbard is on a list meant for suspected terrorists and whether she’s being politically targeted by the Biden administration for past criticism.
In a letter to Administrator David Pekoske of the TSA, Jordan, who chairs the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, wrote that the probe is to “ensure the Biden-Harris administration is not weaponizing its federal surveillance powers against its political opponents.”
Whistleblowers from the TSA previously disclosed Gabbard was surveilled at airports by explosive detection K-9 teams and other federal agents. That came after an interview on Fox News in which she called U.S.-backing of Ukraine in its war against Russia a U.S. “proxy war.”
The TSA has not publicly confirmed nor denied that Gabbard is on the Quiet Skies watchlist. While the agency declined to comment on Gabbard’s recent lawsuit, it did say that Quiet Skies “uses a risk-based approach to apply enhanced security measures on some domestic and outbound international flights.”
House GOP release Biden impeachment report, probes turn to Harris, Walz
House Republicans released their initial report from the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The nearly 300-page document, made public on Monday, Aug. 19, outlines allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of justice related to the financial dealings of his son, Hunter Biden, and other family members.
The report concludes a nearly yearlong investigation and it stops short of accusing President Biden of criminal wrongdoing. However, it claims that the Biden family used its “brand” in business ventures in ways that, according to the report, meet the constitutional threshold for impeachment.
The report draws on bank records, testimony from about 30 witnesses, whistleblower accounts and millions of documents. It accuses Hunter Biden and his associates of engaging in a scheme to solicit foreign business deals by leveraging the family’s influence in Washington. The report specifically looked at the years when Joe Biden served as vice president.
To link the president to these allegations, Republicans highlight several phone calls and casual dinner meetings during which Hunter Biden allegedly had his father on speakerphone. Hunter Biden firmly denied involving his father in his business dealings during his closed-door deposition to House investigators.
The White House dismissed the inquiry as a “stunt” and urged Republicans to “move on.”
According to the Republicans’ findings, the Biden family and its affiliates allegedly received approximately $27 million in business payments from entities in Russia, China and other nations. Additionally, they claim the Biden family used Joe Biden’s position as vice president to secure over $8 million in loans from Democratic supporters. According to the report, those loans remain unpaid.
With Biden no longer running for reelection, the next steps are highly uncertain. An impeachment vote in the House is not guaranteed. Removal from office by a Senate vote is even less likely.
With the conclusion of this probe, Republicans can allocate more resources to other House inquiries. Last week, Republicans announced a probe into Vice President Kamala Harris’ vice presidential pick, Tim Walz, investigating alleged “ties to China.” This investigation builds on the House’s ongoing probe into Harris and her handling of the border crisis.
