Senators rail against ‘cash grab’ spending bill provision as House preps repeal vote
The Senate is once again finding a moment of bipartisan unity in its fury over a recently passed law that would allow lawmakers to sue the federal government and reap hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money as a reward. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continue to grapple with the inclusion of a provision in a package designed to reopen the government that would allow only senators directly targeted by the Biden-led Department of Justice (DOJ) and former special counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation to sue the U.S. government for up to $500,000. Both Senate Republicans’ and Democrats’ ire at the provision is multipronged. Some are angry it was tucked away into the legislative branch spending bill without a heads-up. Others see it as nothing more than a quick payday for the relatively small group of senators targeted in Smith’s probe. REPUBLICANS FEUD OVER ‘ARCTIC FROST’ ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE, BUT CRITICS OFFER NO CLEAR ALTERNATIVE “I think it was outrageous that that was put in and airdropped in there,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital. “It’s outrageous. It’s basically just a cash grab for senators to take money away from taxpayers. It’s absolutely outrageous and needs to be taken out.” The provision was included in the spending package by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on request from lawmakers in the GOP. And it was given the green light by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The provision is narrowly tailored to include only senators and would require they be notified if their information is requested by the DOJ, be it through the subpoena of phone records like in the Arctic Frost investigation or through other means. The idea is to prevent the abuse of the DOJ to go after sitting senators now and in the future. Thune pushed back on the notion that lawmakers weren’t aware the provision was in the bill, given that the entire package was released roughly 24 hours before it was voted on. But he acknowledged their frustration over how it was added was warranted. “I think I take that as a legitimate criticism in terms of the process, but I think, on the substance, I believe that you need to have some sort of accountability and consequence for that kind of weaponization against a co-equal branch of the government,” Thune said. Schumer, when asked about the anger brewing on both sides of the aisle, heaped blame on Thune but noted it was an opportunity to get protection for Democrats, too. GOP UNITY SHATTERED BY CONTROVERSIAL MEASURE IN GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BILL “Look, the bottom line is Thune wanted the provision, and we wanted to make sure that at least Democratic senators were protected from [Attorney General Pam] Bondi and others who might go after them,” Schumer said. “So, we made it go prospective, not just retroactive, but I’d be for repealing all the provision, all of it. And I hope that happens.” The House is expected to vote on legislation that would repeal the language, and many in the upper chamber want to get the chance to erase the provision should it pass through the House. Whether Thune will put it on the floor remains unclear. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was one of the eight senators whose records were requested during Smith’s probe. He told Fox News Digital he was neither asked about the provision nor told about it and, like many other lawmakers, found out about it when he read the bill. “I just think that, you know, giving them money — I mean making a taxpayer pay for it, I don’t understand why that’s accountability,” he said. “I mean, the people who need to be held accountable are the people who made the decisions to do this, and, frankly, also the telecom companies. So I just, I don’t agree with that approach.” LINDSEY GRAHAM VOWS TO SUE OVER ‘ARCTIC FROST’ INVESTIGATION TARGETING GOP LAWMAKERS’ PHONE RECORDS He also took issue with the fact the provision was narrowly tailored to only apply to the Senate and argued it could be reworked to only provide for declaratory judgment in court rather than a monetary one. “I could see the value of having a court say this was illegal and ruling against the government,” Hawley said. “I think it’s the monetary provisions that most people, including me, really balk at. Like, why are the taxpayers on the hook for this, and why does it apply only to the Senate?” The provision set a retroactive date of 2022 to allow for the group of senators targeted in Smith’s Arctic Frost probe to be able to sue. That element has also raised eyebrows on both sides of the aisle. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital he supported repealing the provision but wanted to fix it. “The best way to be able to handle it, I think, is to be able to fix it, take away the retroactivity in it,” he said. “The initial target of this whole thing was to make sure this never happened again.” Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., told Fox News Digital the provision was a “total mess” and raised concerns on a bipartisan basis. Not every senator was on board with ditching the provision, however. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., made clear that he intends to sue the DOJ and Verizon, his phone carrier, and argued that he didn’t believe that the provision was self-dealing but rather to deter future, similar actions. He also wants to take the provision, or the core idea of it, a step further. Graham said he wanted to open up the process to others, including dozens of groups, former lawmakers and others affected by the investigation. “Is it wrong for any American to sue the government if they violated your rights, including me? Is it wrong if a Post Office truck hits you, what do you do with the money? You do whatever you want to do with the money,” Graham said. “If
Dem veterans break silence after viral video causes backlash on social media: ‘Frustrated’
Democrats and Republicans heard two very different takeaways when a group of Democratic lawmakers called on U.S. service members not to carry out certain orders in a video that went viral on social media Tuesday. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., one of the lawmakers featured in the video, expressed exasperation with how critics had framed the message. “I’m not telling people to ignore orders,” Houlahan said Wednesday. “I’m enormously frustrated with the way that this very sensible video is being interpreted in a really insidious way.” AS ‘SQUAD’ TURNS ASSIMILATION INTO ‘DIRTY WORD,’ EXPERT URGES US LEADERS TO RENOUNCE FOREIGN LOYALTIES Houlahan and five other Democrats with military or intelligence experience had encouraged service members not to carry out unlawful orders. “The threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution,” the lawmakers said. “Don’t give up the ship,” the video added, a reference to a phrase used by the Navy. Houlahan was joined by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H. PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER CALLS ON NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO DEFY DEPLOYMENT ORDERS The video did not give an example of what specific kinds of orders service members might have to refuse. In a separate post to X, Slotkin hinted that service members asked to carry out airstrikes off the coast of Venezuela might be engaging in illegal strikes and said that some pilots had expressed concern about their involvement. Republicans responding to the exhortation mocked it as an example of Democratic paranoia toward Trump. “[It’s] Stage 4 TDS,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a post to X, referring to Trump Derangement Syndrome, a moniker for the Democrats’ fixation on the president. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said the call sounded politically charged. “At the end of the day, they’re mad the American people chose Trump, and now they’re calling on the military and intelligence community to intervene. Sounds a little ‘subversive to democracy’-ish,” Schmitt said. When asked about the video, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he supports the exhortation in principle but noted that it’s sometimes difficult to parse what’s permissible and what isn’t. “You can’t disobey the Constitution,” Reed said. “The issue though, on a practical sense to me, is that determination is often very difficult to make.” The Democrats who made the video believe the video said they had a very specific standard in mind. When asked what kinds of orders service members should ignore, Crow, one of the lawmakers in the video, pointed to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). “The purpose is to remind people of their oath and their obligation to the Constitution and their obligations under the UCMJ, which are very clear,” Crow said. SEN. BLACKBURN FIRES BACK AT DEMOCRATS OVER ‘DISTURBING’ VIDEO URGING TROOPS TO DEFY ‘ILLEGAL’ ORDERS The UCMJ, passed by Congress in 1951, governs a gamut of issues service members may be penalized for, ranging from desertion to committing war crimes. The video posted by the lawmakers Tuesday does not mention the UCMJ by name. Houlahan said that code should clearly delineate what’s permissible and what isn’t. “Well, as an example, we are not supposed to use our military against our own citizens. Full stop. This is why the Uniform Code of Miliary Justice exists,” Houlahan said. She noted that there are ways for service members to appeal orders they are concerned about. “You have an obligation to know and respect your chain of command. You do have, however, a chain of command that you can go through where you can elevate those requests if you believe them not to be either lawful or appropriate, and that’s what I’m encouraging, and my colleagues are encouraging people to do,” Houlahan said. The Department of War did not immediately respond to a request for comment. — Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report
Family demands independent medical care for US teen detained by Israel
The family of Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian American boy who has been detained by Israel since February, is demanding that an independent doctor assess the teenager’s condition amid alarming reports about his situation in prison. Mohammed’s uncle, Zeyad Kadur, said an official from the United States embassy in Israel visited the 16-year-old last week at Ofer Prison. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The official told the family afterwards that Ibrahim had lost weight and dark circles were forming around his eyes, Kadur told Al Jazeera. The consular officer also said he had raised Mohammed’s case with multiple US and Israeli agencies. “This is the first time in nine months that they showed grave concern for his health, so how bad is it?” Kadur asked in an interview on Wednesday. Despite rights groups and US lawmakers pleading for Mohammed’s release, Israel has refused to free him, and his family said the administration of President Donald Trump is not doing enough to bring him home. Israeli authorities have accused Ibrahim of throwing rocks at settlers in the occupied West Bank, an allegation he denies. But the legal proceedings in the case are moving at a snail’s pace in Israel’s military justice system, according to Mohammed’s family. Rights advocates also say that the military court system in the occupied West Bank is part of Israel’s discriminatory apartheid regime, given its conviction rate of nearly 100 percent for Palestinian defendants. Adding to the Ibrahim family’s angst is the lack of access to the teenager while Mohammed is in Israeli prison. Unable to visit him or communicate with him, his relatives are only able to receive updates from the US embassy. Advertisement The teenager has been suffering from severe weight loss while in detention, his father, Zaher Ibrahim, told Al Jazeera earlier this year. He also contracted scabies, a contagious skin infection. The last visit he received from US embassy staff was in September. Israeli authorities have committed well-documented abuses against Palestinian detainees, including torture and sexual violence, especially after the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. “We hear and see people getting out of prison and what they look like, and we know it’s bad,” Kadur said. “Mohammed is an American kid who was taken at 15. He is now 16, and he’s been sitting there for nine months and hasn’t seen his mom, hasn’t seen his dad.” He added that the family is also concerned about Mohammed’s mental health. “We’re requesting that he gets sent to a hospital and evaluated by a third party, not by a prison medic or nurse. He needs some actual attention,” Mohammed’s uncle told Al Jazeera. Mohammed, who is from Florida, was visiting Palestine when in the middle of the night he was arrested, blindfolded and beaten in what Kadur described as a “kidnapping”. The US Department of State did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on the latest consular visit to Mohammed. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Israel last month, he appeared to have misheard a question about Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti and thought it was about Mohammed’s case. “Are you talking about the one from the US? I don’t have any news for you on that today,” Rubio told reporters. “Obviously, we’ll work that through our embassy here and our diplomatic channels, but we don’t have anything to announce on that.” But for Kadur, Mohammed’s case is not a bureaucratic or legal matter – it is one that requires political will from Washington to secure his freedom. Kadur underscored that the US has negotiated with adversaries, including Venezuela, Russia and North Korea, to free detained Americans, so it can push for the release of Mohammed from its closest ally in the Middle East. The US provided Israel with more than $21bn in military aid over the past two years. Kadur drew a contrast between the lack of US effort to free Mohammed and the push to release Edan Alexander, a US citizen who was volunteering in the Israeli army and was taken prisoner during Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Alexander was released in May after pressure from the Trump administration on Hamas. “The American government negotiated with what they consider a terrorist organisation, and they secured his release – an adult who put on a uniform, who picked up a gun and did what he signed up for,” Kadur said of Alexander. Advertisement “Why is a 16-year-old still there for nine months, rotting away, deteriorating in a prison? That’s one example to show that Mohammed – and his name and his Palestinian DNA – [are] not considered American enough by the State Department first and by the administration second.” Adblock test (Why?)
Nvidia forecasts Q4 revenue above estimates despite AI bubble concerns
Analysts expect AI chip demand to remain strong. By Reuters Published On 19 Nov 202519 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Nvidia has forecast fourth-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates and is betting on booming demand for its AI chips from cloud providers even as widespread concerns of an artificial intelligence bubble grow stronger. The world’s most valuable company expects fourth-quarter sales of $65bn, plus or minus 2 percent, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $61.66bn, according to data compiled by LSEG. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The results from the AI chip leader mark a defining moment for Wall Street as global markets look to the chip designer to determine whether investing billions of dollars in AI infrastructure expansion has resulted in towering valuations that potentially outpace fundamentals. “The AI ecosystem is scaling fast with more new foundation model makers, more AI start-ups across more industries and in more countries. AI is going everywhere, doing everything, all at once,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in a statement. Before the results, doubts had pushed Nvidia shares down nearly 8 percent in November after a 1,200 percent surge in the past three years. Sales in the data-centre segment, which accounts for a majority of Nvidia’s revenue, grew to $51.2bn in the quarter that ended on October 26. Analysts had expected sales of $48.62bn, according to LSEG data. Warning signs But some analysts noted that factors beyond Nvidia’s control could impede its growth. “While GPU [graphics processing unit] demand continues to be massive, investors are increasingly focused on whether hyperscalers can actually put this capacity to use fast enough,” said Jacob Bourne, an analyst with eMarketer. “The question is whether physical bottlenecks in power, land and grid access will cap how quickly this demand translates into revenue growth through 2026 and beyond.” Advertisement Nvidia’s business also became increasingly concentrated in its fiscal third quarter with four customers accounting for 61 percent of sales. At the same time, it sharply ramped up how much money it spends renting back its own chips from its cloud customers, who otherwise cannot rent them out, with those contracts totalling $26bn – more than double their $12.6bn in the previous quarter. Still, analysts and investors widely expected the underlying demand for AI chips, which has powered Nvidia results since ChatGPT’s launch in late 2022, to remain strong. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said last month that the company has $500bn in bookings for its advanced chips through 2026. Big Tech, among Nvidia’s largest customers, has doubled down on spending to expand AI data centres and snatch the most advanced, pricey chips as it commits to multibillion-dollar, multigigawatt build-outs. Microsoft last month reported a record capital expenditure of nearly $35bn for its fiscal first quarter with roughly half of it spent primarily on chips. Nvidia expects an adjusted gross margin of 75 percent, plus or minus 50 basis points in the fourth quarter, compared with market expectation of 74.5 percent. Adblock test (Why?)
Syria condemns Israeli PM Netanyahu’s ‘illegal visit’ to seized territory
Israel has kept troops in a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights since December’s ouster of Bashar al-Assad. Syria has denounced a trip by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials to the country’s south, where they visited troops deployed to Syrian territory they’ve occupied for months. Israel expanded its occupation of southern Syrian territory as the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad was overrun by rebel forces in December. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “My government strongly condemns this provocative tour, which epitomises Israel’s ongoing aggression against Syria and its people,” Ibrahim Olabi, Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council on Wednesday. “We renew our call on the UN and this council to take firm and immediate action to halt these violations, ensure their non-reoccurrence, end the occupation and enforce relevant resolutions, particularly the 1974 disengagement agreement” that followed the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Since the overthrow of al-Assad, Israel has kept troops in a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights separating Israeli and Syrian forces. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials’ “very public visit” as “concerning, to say the least”. Dujarric noted that UN Resolution 2799, recently passed by the Security Council, “called for the full sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity of Syria”. Israel has previously said the 1974 agreement has been void since al-Assad fled, and it has breached Syrian sovereignty with air strikes, ground infiltration operations, reconnaissance overflights, the establishment of checkpoints, and the arrest and disappearance of Syrian citizens. Advertisement Syria has not reciprocated the attacks. ‘Zero signs of aggression’ During the Security Council meeting, Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, did not directly address Netanyahu’s visit but instead lectured Syria’s ambassador. “Show us that Syria is moving away from extremism and radicalism, that the protection of Christians and Jews is not an afterthought but a priority. Show us that the militias are restrained and justice is real and the cycle of indiscriminate killings has ended,” Danon said. Olabi responded: “The proving, Mr Ambassador, tends to be on your shoulders. You have struck Syria more than 1,000 times, and we have responded with requests for diplomacy … and responded with zero signs of aggression towards Israel. … We have engaged constructively. and we still await for you to do the same.” Netanyahu was accompanied to Syrian territory by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Defence Minister Israel Katz, army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the head of the Shin Bet security service, David Zini Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned “in the strongest terms the illegal visit, … considering it a serious violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. This month, Israel’s army renewed its incursions into Syria, setting up a military checkpoint in the southern province of Quneitra. In September, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Israel had conducted more than 1,000 air strikes and more than 400 ground incursions in Syria since al-Assad was overthrown, describing the actions as “very dangerous”. Reporting from the UN in New York, Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo noted Syria and Israel continue to negotiate a security pact that analysts said could be finalised before the end of the year. “The testy exchange between the two ambassadors likely won’t derail that. But it does show how little trust there is between both countries – and how Netanyahu and his government continue to try to provoke Damascus,” Elizondo said. Adblock test (Why?)
Nitish Kumar to take oath as Bihar CM on Nov 20: A look at his cabinet with 6 new faces, who will be deputy CM?
Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar will return as the Bihar Chief Minister tomorrow for the 10th time after taking oath at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan, where Jayaprakash Narayan called for “total revolution” during a speech. Kumar has staked a claim to form the government in Bihar after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept 202 assembly constituencies. Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Wednesday accepted his resignation and asked him to continue as caretaker CM until the new government is sworn in tomorrow, November 20.
Fox News Poll: Voters say White House is doing more harm than good on economy
Unhappy with the economy. Pain with prices. Unsure about Trump administration policies. It adds up to high disapproval among the president’s loyal constituencies. Here are six takeaways from the latest Fox News national survey. — Some 76% of voters view the economy negatively. That’s worse than the 67% who felt that way in July, and the 70% who said the same at the end of former President Biden’s term. — Large numbers, overall and among Republicans, say their costs for groceries, utilities, healthcare, and housing have gone up this year. — Voters blame the president. About twice as many say President Donald Trump, rather than Biden, is responsible for the current economy. And three times as many say Trump’s economic policies have hurt them (note, they said the same about Biden’s last year). Plus, approval of how Trump is handling the economy hit a new low, and disapproval of his overall job performance hit record highs among core supporters. — After the government shutdown, the GOP and the Democratic Party have lower favorable ratings, and roughly 6 in 10 say the president and lawmakers on both sides don’t care about people like them. — Voters think Republicans have a better plan for border security, immigration, and crime, while Democrats are seen as better on affordability, wages, healthcare, and climate. — Views are divided on Trump’s peace deals making the world safer and the administration’s strategy for dealing with alleged drug-traffickers. Here are the numbers behind those findings. FOX NEWS VOTER POLL – CHANGE CANDIDATE MAMDANI DEFEATS LEGACY POLITICAL FIGURES Trump’s job performance garners career-high disapproval among men, White voters, and those without a college degree. Eighty-six percent of Republicans approve, down from 92% in March. Among all voters, 41% approve of the job Trump is doing, while 58% disapprove. Only once have his ratings been lower and that was during his first term: 38-57% in October 2017. Two months ago, it was 46-54%. For comparison, Biden’s marks were a bit better at the same point in his presidency: 44% approved and 54% disapproved in November 2021. Forty percent of voters rate their personal finances as excellent/good, while 60% say only fair/poor, which is about where things stood a year ago. Ratings are notably bad (roughly 70% negative), among non-college voters, Hispanics, Blacks, independents, and those under age 45. For those with household income below $50K, fully 79% rate their finances negatively. FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: NEW JERSEY GOVERNORSHIP REMAINS DEMOCRATIC WITH SHERRILL WIN When it comes to the national economy versus personal finances, evaluations are also negative, as most say conditions are only fair/poor (76%), and fewer than one in five thinks inflation is completely/mostly under control (18%). Compared to a year ago, voters say costs have increased for utilities (78%), healthcare (67%), housing (66%), and gasoline (54%). It’s 85% who say their groceries went up this year, including 60% who say costs increased “a lot.” Majorities of Republicans agree with majorities of Democrats and independents that costs have gone up on each of these items except gas. FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: CALIFORNIA VOTERS OK CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING PLAN At the end of Biden’s term, voters said by a wide 30-point margin that his economic policies had done more to hurt than help their family, driven by three-quarters of Republicans saying they had been harmed. The new survey shows almost identical results, as voters say by a 31-point margin that Trump’s economic policies have hurt rather than helped them, driven by the three-quarters of Democrats saying they have been harmed. In December 2018, during his first term, only 21% overall said they had been hurt by Trump’s policies, including just one-third of Democrats. By a nearly 2-to-1 margin, voters say Trump is more responsible for the current economy than Biden (62% vs. 32%). Unsurprisingly, there’s a large partisan gap, as Democrats are nearly 40 percentage points more likely than Republicans to blame Trump. Somewhat surprisingly though, 42% of Republicans blame him, while a 53% majority says Biden is responsible. Among independents, 62% say Trump and 29% Biden. A larger share believes the Republicans have a better plan on securing the border, dealing with illegal immigrants, reducing crime, and reducing the federal budget deficit. Democrats are preferred on addressing climate change, reducing the cost of healthcare, raising wages, and making things more affordable. The parties are about equal on the issue of job creation. Congressional Democrats said the shutdown was about extending subsidies for Obamacare. The 2010 healthcare law remains popular, as 54% have a favorable opinion of it — although much of that comes from nearly 9 in 10 Democrats viewing it positively. Not only do voters think Democrats have a better plan for reducing healthcare costs, but also Trump receives his lowest approval on the issue of healthcare. “The situation isn’t complicated,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps run the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. “People are struggling to afford necessities and blaming those in charge. What’s interesting is watching Democrats gain politically from a problem they arguably caused — and that crushed them in 2024. But that’s politics.” While many families say the government shutdown caused them severe (10%) or moderate hardship (35%), more than half say it was not a hardship at all (54%). The shutdown wasn’t a political winner for anyone: nearly two-thirds disapprove of how Trump (62%), Congressional Republicans (63%), and Congressional Democrats (64%) handled it. A record low 39% have a favorable view of the Democratic Party, down from 42% in July. Another 39% have positive views of the GOP, down from 44% this summer. For Trump, it’s 40% positive, down from 43% in September and 50% in January. But it’s Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer whose marks have deteriorated the most, as a record low 22% view him favorably vs. 54% unfavorably, for a net rating of -32 points. His ratings were underwater by 16 points in January. Among Democrats, positive views of Schumer went from 51% in January to 38% today.
‘Stone-cold liar’: Top House Dem lashes out at Comer for accusing him of soliciting Epstein donations
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., fired back at accusations that he may have had dinner with Jeffrey Epstein or solicited donations from the disgraced financier on Wednesday. “He’s a stone-cold liar,” Jeffries said of James Comer, R-Ky., the chairman of the House Oversight Committee. The day before, Comer had said the Committee had uncovered communications where fundraisers had tried to arrange a private meeting between Jeffries and Epstein in 2013. According to Comer, the emails had been discovered among the 65,000 pages of recently disclosed documents from the Department of Justice, or DOJ. EPSTEIN ESTATE HIT WITH NEW HOUSE SUBPOENA FOR ‘CLIENT LIST,’ CALL LOGS “I have no idea what James Comer is talking about in terms of anything any prior consultant may have sent,” Jeffries added. Jeffries’ remarks come on the heels of congressional passage of a bill that would require the DOJ to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein, who died in 2019 while incarcerated on suspicion of having sex-trafficked underage victims, had amassed an impressive social circle including figures like President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and others. The public has demanded further transparency on whether Epstein used his connections to facilitate illegal sexual encounters for the rich and powerful in return for favors or to secure leverage over them. HAKEEM JEFFRIES REFUSES THREE TIMES TO ANSWER QUESTION ABOUT APPROPRIATENESS OF PLASKETT’S EPSTEIN MESSAGES The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Tuesday evening in a 427-1 vote. Moments later, the Senate unanimously adopted the bill, sending it to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. The files disclosed by the House Oversight Committee aren’t public because of Tuesday’s transparency act. They are materials produced by the DOJ in cooperation with requests from the committee. The Transparency Act is expected to release far more files than what the committee has received so far. Circulation has swirled about what prominent figures might get caught up in those more extensive revelations. Jeffries, who voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, expressed anger at the suggestion his name might surface in further disclosures. “Was that a serious statement from malignant clown James Comer? That I had Jeffrey Epstein over for dinner? That I accepted money from Jeffrey Epstein?” KHANNA, MASSIE, GREENE URGE SENATE TO PASS EPSTEIN BILL UNCHANGED, WARN OF ‘RECKONING’ “This is all part of an effort to deflect from their failures as a House Majority to deal with the issues of importance to everyday Americans,” Jeffries said. The Epstein Files Transparency Act gives the DOJ 30 days to comply with the bill’s disclosure requirements.
Melania Trump says AI will reshape war more profoundly than nuclear weapons during visit with Marines
In her first joint visit with Second Lady Usha Vance, First Lady Melania Trump met with troops and military families, praising the Marine Corps’ 250 years of service while warning that artificial intelligence (AI) will redefine modern warfare and America’s defense. In her Wednesday remarks at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Mrs. Trump emphasized AI’s role in her husband’s administration as a pillar of American defense strategy. “Technology is changing the art of war,” Trump said. “Predictably, AI will alter war more profoundly than any technology since nuclear weapons.” The First Lady’s remarks come as the Trump administration expands its focus on AI. The president posted to Truth Social earlier this week, saying, “We MUST have one Federal Standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes.” FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP AND USHA VANCE VISIT TROOPS’ FAMILIES IN FIRST JOINT VISIT President Trump’s AI push aligns with his broader “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” published in July. The First Lady acknowledged the service and 250-year legacy of the Marine Corps, including two Marines she welcomed on stage, Sergeant Blake Donoher and Corporal Daishamari Cannon. Trump said that the “most significant change will be speed” when it comes to AI, adding that “artificial intelligence will take center stage in the theater of war… but of course, it is the Marine who will always play the most critical role in realizing mission success.” GOOGLE CEO, MAJOR TECH LEADERS JOIN FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE AI MEETING The First Lady noted that AI is taking America’s military “from soldiers to machines.” “Artificial intelligence is propelling America’s military into a new era,” Trump said. “We are moving from human operators to human overseers – fast. The shift from soldiers to machines is already underway: autonomous helicopters, swarming drones, and recon aircraft are here now. Fighter-less jets and autonomous bombers are on the way.” The First Lady was introduced by Second Lady and Marine Corps spouse Usha Vance, who greeted the Marines by relaying a “Happy birthday” message from Vice President JD Vance. The Marine Corps birthday is Nov. 10. MELANIA TRUMP ‘PEACE LETTER’ TO PUTIN HAILED BY USHA VANCE, WHO CALLS HER A ‘TRAILBLAZER’ The event coincided with national Thanksgiving preparations, where both the First and Second Lady visited classrooms at Camp Lejeune. Students showcased AI projects as part of the Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge during the visit. Trump hugged a shy student in a sweet moment caught on camera in a first-grade class where kids read aloud and joined in a lively game of “Heads Up,” wearing a matching notecard on her head. “Don’t be shy,” the First Lady said before embracing the boy who seemed nervous to meet her. The First Lady concluded her remarks with heartfelt thanks to service members and their families. “To every Service Member — thank you for standing watch so others can celebrate in peace. And to every military spouse and child — thank you for your strength and love,” Trump said. “You serve our country, too.” “As we give thanks this season, let us remember what unites us — our shared love of country, our faith in one another, and our pride in those who serve,” Trump concluded. The Office of First Lady Melania Trump referred Fox News Digital to her prepared remarks. Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
GOP bill brewing in House reforming civil litigation sparks opposition from conservative groups
Republican legislation brewing in the House of Representatives aimed at addressing civil litigation transparency is sparking concern from some conservative organizations that fear it could chill donor participation and make it more difficult for Americans of modest means to hold “woke” companies accountable. In a letter sent earlier this week, Tea Party Patriots Action urged the House Judiciary Committee to reject HR 1109, introduced by GOP Reps. Darrell Issa, Scott Fitzgerald, and Mike Collins, which is known as the Litigation Transparency Act of 2025 and is aimed at ensuring greater transparency in civil litigation, requiring parties receiving payment in lawsuits to disclose their identity. The letter warns that “sweeping disclosure mandates in this bill threaten our core American principles of personal privacy, confidentiality, and freedom of speech and association.” “This legislation would require litigants to preemptively disclose detailed information about private financial arrangements, such as litigation funding agreements, independent from the discovery process and without any finding of relevance by a judge,” the letter, signed by over a dozen conservative groups including America First Legal, Defending Education, Heartland Institute, former treasurer of Ohio Ken Blackwell, and American Energy Institute, states. VAN JONES ADMITS WOKE ACTIVISM AT WORK GOT ‘RIDICULOUS’ AND ‘WE NEED TO MOVE ON’ “The bill’s forced disclosure mandates would broadly apply to any number of political organizations, religious groups, law firms, or individual plaintiffs that rely on outside support to vindicate their rights. “If adopted, H.R. 1109 will have a chilling effect on free speech and association and directly threaten the privacy rights of Americans,” the letter warns. “The end result will be fewer Americans having the resources or willingness to bring legitimate claims, which threatens to undermine future legal battles over issues critical to our movement.” “The privacy interests at stake here are not abstract. We have seen how disclosure regimes can be easily weaponized by bad actors, particularly those seeking to attack and intimidate political opponents.” Issa told Fox News Digital on Thursday afternoon that there is “misinformation” circulating about what the bill actually does and there will be a “small update tomorrow to clarify one item.” “What’s actually happened is language has been put in to assure groups that we’re not looking to overturn NAACP v. Alabama or any of the other historical 501c privileges that you don’t turn over your donor list and so on,” Issa said. “That was something that Obama and Biden tried to do a couple of times. We want nothing to do with that. We’re only asking that if there is a material funder slash partner in a lawsuit, that they be disclosed.” “I fully respect and appreciate the concerns of people who want to make sure that this does not turn into a burdensome discovery of, for example, a nonprofit’s hundreds, thousands or millions of donors,” Issa explained. PALANTIR CEO CLAIMS COMPANY IS FIRST TO BE ‘COMPLETELY ANTI-WOKE,’ BACKS TRUMP ADMIN’S BOMBING OF DRUG BOATS “We share the concern of all these groups that we wanted to make sure we believed we were on solid ground as written but in an abundance of caution, my staff and all the parties worked to try to come up with the most straightforward, effective way to say, of course, you don’t have to disclose your donors.” Proponents of the legislation, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, call it a “vital step toward ensuring that our legal system remains a tool for justice rather than being a playground for hidden financial interests.” In his press release announcing the legislation in February, Issa said, “Our legislation targets serious and continuing abuses in our litigation system that distort our system of justice by obscuring public detection and exploiting loopholes in the law for financial gain.” “Our approach will achieve a far better standard of transparency in the courts that people deserve, and our standard of law requires. We fundamentally believe that if a third-party investor is financing a lawsuit in federal court, it should be disclosed rather than hidden from the world and left absent from the facts of a case.” The press release explained that hundreds of cases a year involve civil litigation funded by undisclosed-third-party interests as an investment for return from hedge funds, commercial lenders and sovereign wealth funds through shell companies and that there are often investor-backed entities who seek hefty settlements from American companies that end up “distorting the free market and stifling innovation.” The conversation about the legislation reignites an ongoing showdown between insurers and large corporations who have made the case that third-party funding drives abusive suits and inflated settlements therefore needing more visibility into funders of litigation and limits to speculative investment in lawsuits against advocacy-oriented nonprofits and legal networks, who argue they are the only mechanism for those without deep pockets to take legal action against well funded companies. Many advocacy-oriented nonprofits and legal networks don’t simply hand over charitable donations to a lawsuit but instead use structured litigation vehicles, limited liability companies, donor-advised funds, or legal-defense trusts, that front the costs of a case and are reimbursed, sometimes with interest, if the case wins or settles. The process is known as non-recourse or outcome-contingent funding, meaning the funder only gets money back if the case succeeds. BOMBSHELL REPORT SHOWS FOREIGN CHARITIES DUMPED BILLIONS INTO US POLITICAL ADVOCACY GROUPS, ‘ERODE’ DEMOCRACY Nonprofits like Consumers’ Research have been using litigation finance in recent years to push back against “woke capitalism” to counter ESG and DEI policies and the group’s executive director, Will Hild, told Fox News Digital that it has been “all too easy for major companies to use their outsized influence and powerful market shares to push an ideological agenda with little to no recourse.” Hild told Fox News Digital he views the legislation an “attack” on one of the “few tools Americans have to hold powerful, woke corporations accountable.” Hild added, “Even worse, it imposes dangerous disclosure mandates that would force plaintiffs to expose confidential litigation funding agreements. This bill blatantly tips the scales in favor of