Republicans

NBC News reports: The Senate on Thursday voted to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be President Donald Trump’s defense secretary, setting up a final confirmation vote for the end of the week. Senators voted by the narrowest of margins, 51 to 49, to advance Hegseth’s bid to lead the Pentagon, with just two Republicans — moderate Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, …

USA Today reports: The Senate on Thursday easily confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe, making him the second key player to join the new Republican administration’s national security and foreign policy team. Ratcliffe, who formerly served as director of national Intelligence in Trump’s first term, won on a 74-25 vote. The Senate confirmed …

The Washington Post reports: An aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson advised Republican colleagues against subpoenaing former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson as part of their investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attacking an effort to prevent the release of sexually explicit texts that lawmakers sent her. In a meeting following the June conversation, Johnson (R-Louisiana.) and senior aides also …

“While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces. These behaviors starkly contrast the values and discipline expected of servicemembers. Men and women in uniform …

The Telegraph reports: Britain will not refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America despite Donald Trump’s order for it to be renamed, The Telegraph understands. Britain will continue to call the body of water by its current name unless the new title ordered by Mr Trump gains widespread usage in English. The US president instructed the …

“I have no desire whatsoever to watch or listen to Donald Trump. Donald Trump has, time and again, convinced me that he is the most dishonest elected official that I have ever — excuse me — that the public has ever had to interact with. “And the paradox with Donald Trump is he seems to make dishonest statements just for …

Florida Politics reports: Demand for virtual private network (VPN) services surged in Florida after Pornhub shut down access in the state.  A report by vpnMentor found the interest in VPNs skyrocketed as the internet’s leading pornography publisher publicly punished states over age verification policies. No state witnessed greater enlargement than Florida, where VPN interest jumped by 1,150% after Pornhub started …

The Daily Beast reports: Babydog, the rotund English bulldog and canine companion of newly elected Republican Senator Jim Justice, arrived at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday in her own personal puppy wagon. Video posted to X by Business Insider reporter Bryan Metzger shows the dog, a fabled fixture of state politics when Justice served as West Virginia’s governor, in a four-wheeled …

Axios reports: The Trump administration, seeking to stamp out federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, is calling on government employees to snitch on any colleagues that continue to follow such policies. In a series of form letters sent to government departments Wednesday, President Trump’s acting agency chiefs threatened “adverse consequences” for anyone still doing work related to DEI initiatives …

The Hill reports: Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said Tuesday she would offer guided tours of the Capitol to the Jan. 6 rioters who just received a sweeping pardon from President Trump. “I’ll be the first member of Congress to offer them a guided tour in the Capitol,” Boebert said Tuesday standing outside a Washington, D.C., jail where some defendants were …

Gothamist reports: A Texas man who pleaded guilty to fraudulently promising to get the criminal case against former Rep. George Santos dismissed was sentenced to a year-and-a-half in federal prison on Wednesday. Prosecutors say Hector Medina started to send predatory messages to Santos in 2023, after the former congressmember was indicted. In those messages, he claimed that he worked with …

From Oklahoma GOP state Rep. Dusty Deevers: Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, announced on Tuesday a bold slate of eight legislative measures aimed at restoring moral sanity in Oklahoma. Together, these bills set a course for pushing back against the moral decay foisted upon Oklahoma by the far-left’s march through our institutions to destroy the moral foundations upon which the United …

Bottle Raiders reports: During Donald Trump’s inauguration to the U.S. presidency, bottles of the Brown-Forman-owned brand, Woodford Reserve, were gifted to attendees witnessing the 47th president of the United States take office. The guest list was a mix of Supreme Court justices, members of Congress and CEOS from major tech companies like Apple and Amazon. The bottles were provided by …

NBC News reports: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced in a press release this afternoon the creation of a select subcommittee to investigate events before and after Jan. 6, 2021. The subcommittee’s mission is to “uncover the full truth that is owed to the American people,” Johnson said. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., will chair the subcommittee, which will fall under …

“Everybody can describe this however they want, the president has the pardon and commutation authority, it’s his decision, and I think what was made clear all along was that peaceful protests and people who engage in that should never be punished. There was a weaponization of the Justice department. “There was a weaponization of the events the following, you know, …

The Guardian reports: Donald Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to the United Nations has endorsed Israeli claims of biblical rights to the entire West Bank during a Senate confirmation hearing, aligning herself with positions that could complicate diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. The New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a Republican, was confronted on Tuesday over her backing of a …

The Arizona Republic reports: U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs announced Tuesday that he is considering a run for Arizona governor in 2026, setting up a fight with President Donald Trump’s pick for the job. Biggs, R-Ariz., a longtime ally of Trump, began his political career in the state Legislature, rising through the ranks to become president of the Arizona Senate. He …

Politico reports: Senators should reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the government’s health agencies because he’s an anti-vax conspiracy theorist, former heroin addict, supporter of marijuana and psychedelic drug legalization, and backer of abortion rights, a conservative group is arguing. Advancing American Freedom, the advocacy group founded by Mike Pence, is throwing everything at the wall in a …

Heartland Signal reports: Indiana state Sen. Jim Tomes (R-Wadesville) has introduced Senate Bill 204, a bill to allow lobbyists to carry firearms in the state capitol building. Tomes’ office did not respond to a Heartland Signal request to comment on why he introduced the bill and what impact it would have on the state of Indiana. The 76-year-old Tomes has …

NBC News reports: Senators received an affidavit Tuesday from the former sister-in-law of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth in which she says his behavior caused his second wife to fear for her safety. The receipt of the affidavit comes after Senate Armed Services Committee staffers were in contact with Hegseth’s former sister-in-law for several days. The former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, …