• Happening now: Bryana Bongolan, a longtime friend of Cassie Ventura, has given more details this afternoon about an incident with Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2016 when she said that she was “held over a 17-story balcony” by the music mogul. • Previous testimony: The jury this morning also heard from forensic video expert Frank Piazza, who said the March 2016 video from the InterContinental Hotel that captured Combs assaulting Ventura was not manually altered. Yesterday, Eddy Garcia, a former security officer at the hotel, testified about how Combs allegedly tried to cover up the video, saying he accepted $100,000 from Combs in exchange for the footage. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to life in prison. • Editor's Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland suggested that during Bryana Bongolan's first meeting with prosecutors, she did not mention that Sean “Diddy” Combs told her, “I could kill you.” Bongolan said she didn't remember when she told the government about that incident. Westmoreland also suggested that Bongolan later told prosecutors the incident happened at a party, not at a photoshoot. Bongolan testified that those were not her words and that the two incidents did not happen at the same time. Westmoreland suggested that Bongolan did not mention certain details about the balcony incident during her first meeting with prosecutors, such as Combs banging on the door and her telling her ex-girlfriend to hide in the bathroom. The defense attorney also suggested that Bongolan's second demand letter claimed Combs grabbed her breasts so hard she had bruises. Bryana Bongolan's testimony has been “shocking and damning” and shows Sean “Diddy” Combs' alleged abuse also extended to those he was not romantically involved with, Alyse Adamson, a former federal prosecutor, said. “Bryana Bongolan was not in a relationship with Sean ‘Diddy' Combs, and if you recall the defense has really tried to frame their alternative narrative of what was happening with Cassie –– between Cassie and Combs –– as toxic domestic violence,” Adamson explained. “But here we have another witness who was not romantically linked to Combs being violently abused,” she said, referring to Bongolan's testimony that Combs held her over “17-story balcony” in 2016. Adamson said Bongolan's testimony goes directly to the racketeering and conspiracy charge prosecutors are trying to prove “because it demonstrates that Combs was operating in a way that, through threats, violence and abuse, that goes to the corrupt enterprise aspect of the RICO.” Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland questioned Bryana Bongolan's allegation that she saw Sean “Diddy” Combs throw a knife at Cassie Ventura, suggesting she doesn't actually remember that incident. Bongolan told prosecutors in an interview that Ventura and Combs would get in knife fights sometimes, according to interview notes referenced by Westmoreland. Remember: This morning, Bongolan said that on one occasion when she was staying at Ventura's apartment, they were awoken by Combs and that once inside, “He threw the knife in Cassie's direction.” Bongolan testified that she didn't call the police following the incident because she “was just scared of Puff.” Ventura asked Bongolan to name her in connection with the balcony incident in her lawsuit, but Bongolan said she refused. Bongolan confirmed she had conversations with Ventura about the balcony incident both before and after Ventura filed her lawsuit, including discussions about the location and who was present. She said she's spoken with both of them since the trial began, but confirmed that they have not discussed their testimony. Bongolan also testified that she hired a lawyer to sue Combs. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland asked Bryana Bongolan how she felt when she used drugs like marijuana, cocaine, ketamine, G, and acid. Bongolan said they “partied” a lot together and she regularly sold drugs to Cassie Ventura. “You would agree with me that you and Cassie had a serious drug problem,” Westmoreland asked.“Yeah, we had a problem,” Bongolan said. On one occasion Bongolan said she got Ventura so many pills it scared her. Bongolan recounted the first time she spent the night at Ventura's home, confirming that Ventura asked if she liked to get high. Bongolan said she replied yes, and they got high together. Bryana Bongolan said she's seeking $10 million in her lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs but said she's not expecting any money to come from her testimony at this trial. Bongolan said she filed the lawsuit against Combs “because I wanted to seek justice for what happened to me.” Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland is now cross-examining Bongolan. Bryana Bongolan testified that a music producer named Rob Holladay reached out to her in early 2024. She said Holladay had been one of her best friends for a long time, and he was also friends with Sean “Diddy” Combs. Bongolan testified that Holladay told her he was calling on behalf of Combs and he was authorized to talk about “settling with me.” Bongolan confirmed that about a month or two after she spoke with Holladay, her current attorney helped her file a lawsuit against Combs. Bryana Bongolan testified that she spoke to Cassie Ventura after Ventura filed her lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2023. She told Ventura that there were a few details wrong about the balcony incident described in Ventura's lawsuit, such as it not happening in a hotel and Ventura having the date wrong. When asked if she experiences lasting effects from the incident with Combs, Bongolan whispered, “Yes.” Bongolan hired a lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, in January 2024. Blackburn made a monetary demand to Combs regarding the balcony incident. Bongolan testified that she fired Blackburn when she realized he had included incorrect information in the monetary demand paperwork. Bryana Bongolan said the last time she hung out with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie Ventura was around New Year's in 2018. Bongolan testified that she went to the penthouse suite at the One Hotel in Miami with Combs and Ventura for New Year's, where they did ketamine for eight hours. She tattooed the date on her neck as a “commitment to get sober and not go back.” After leaving the hotel in Miami that day, Bongolan said her relationship with Ventura became “sporadic.” Bryana Bongolan testified she told her managers about the incident, and one advised her to at least see a chiropractor if she was too scared to do anything else. Bongolan said she saw a chiropractor that day but did not disclose who caused her injuries when asked. The jury was also shown a photo of Bongolan's neck and back that appeared reddened and covered with bandages. Bongolan said her ex-girlfriend took the photo and she couldn't AirDrop it. Bryana Bongolan said Sean “Diddy” Combs or one of his security guards Facetimed her a day or two after the incident on the balcony. Assistant US Attorney Madison Smyser directed Bryana Bongolan back to the incident on the balcony of Cassie Ventura's Los Angeles apartment. Bongolan testified she was asleep with her ex-girlfriend on a couch in Ventura's apartment when she heard Sean Combs banging on the door in September 2016. Ventura was in her bedroom at the time, Bongolan said. Bongolan said she hid the other woman at the time testifying, “I didn't want to expose her to things that I see.” “I either lit the blunt or was about to light it,” Bongolan said. “He basically came up behind me.“He lifted me up and then had me on top of the rail.” Bongolan said she still doesn't know what Combs was talking about at the time. Bongolan said Ventura asked something like “Did you just hang her over the balcony?” and it sounded like she was in disbelief. After Combs left, Bongolan went back to her apartment. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said she thinks it's unlikely that “Jane” will testify today. She said they intend to call Enrique Santos after Bongolan's testimony ends, but said his testimony should be brief. Bryana Bongolan, a longtime friend of Cassie Ventura, is expected to resume her testimony soon. This post was updated with details on the jurors returning to jury room. We're on week four of the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, and so far the jury has heard from 26 witnesses — including Cassie Ventura, the prosecution's star witness who testified for multiple days about the abuse she said she endured during her relationship with Combs. Here's a look at who else has taken the stand so far: Frank Piazza, a forensic audio and video editor, was the first witness to take the stand this morning in Sean “Diddy” Combs' federal criminal trial. Piazza is an expert witness who testified that he is being paid $295 per hour for his work on this case and that he has no knowledge of the case but reviewed cell phone video, surveillance footage and “sex videos.” Bryana Bongolan was called to the stand next and testified about a physical altercation she alleged happened at the hands of Combs. Her testimony is expected to continue after the lunch break.

The Department of Homeland Security revealed Wednesday morning that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) contacted TSA about her husband, William “Billy” Shaheen, being subjected to enhanced screening and lobbied former TSA Administrator David Pekoske to give him a blank exemption from its Silent Partner and Quiet Skies program. Jeanna Shaheen first contacted the TSA in July 2023 after her husband was flagged for the enhanced screening during two flights, where he was flagged for the first time for traveling with a suspected or known terrorist. The exemption, which Shaheen's husband was given in October 2023, was given two days after the Democratic senator contacted the TSA for a second time after Billy Shaheen was flagged for traveling with a known or suspected terrorist. “It is clear that this program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration — weaponized against its political foes and to benefit their well-heeled friends,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Marshals and monitored by the federal government while flying included foreign royal families, political elites, professional athletes, journalists, and the Trump administration's Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard — all without knowing they were on a surveillance list rolled out by the Biden administration. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) exposed in May that the TSA had tracked Gabbard during the 2024 election for unspecified reasons that Republicans have said boiled down to politics. In the Shaheens' case, Mr. Shaheen was flagged by TSA on July 20, 2023, for traveling with a known or suspected terrorist, whose name was not included in the DHS announcement. Later that month, Mr. Shaheen was placed on the TSA's Secure Flight Exclusion List, which ensures certain passengers are not surveilled. He remained on the list for 18 months, until April of this year. The senator's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Instructor Vito Susca shares a laugh with his English as a Second Language class at the Fort Bend Literacy Council in Sugar Land, Texas, Monday, June 19, 2017. Shoppers look for pleated skirts and other clothing for Hmong New Year for sale at the stall of Elisa Her, left, in the Hmong Village covered market in St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. Almost 22% of U.S. residents age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, double the share from four decades ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, and it varied by state. In California, 44% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, while it was 2.5% in West Virginia. The United States is a multilingual nation due to immigration, despite recent crackdowns by the Trump administration, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution. “This is a big part of who we've been over a long period of time,” Frey said. President Donald Trump earlier this year issued an executive order designating English as the official language in the U.S. Spanish was spoken at home by 13.2% of speakers, and it was the top non-English language spoken at home in every state but Hawaii, Maine and Vermont. In Maine and Vermont, home to French Canadian communities, French was the most popular non-English language, and in Hawaii, it was Iloko, a language spoken by the Ilocano people of the Philippines. Here's a look at where languages are spoken in the United States. Outside of English and Spanish, Arabic was the most spoken language at home in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. About 1 out of 7 Alaskans who speak a language other than English at home did so in Central Yup'ik, making the native language the second most common non-English language behind Spanish in Alaska. Chinese was the second-most common non-English language spoken at home in Delaware, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. If all Chinese dialects are combined, it would be the third most spoken language in California behind English and Spanish. Although it was the dominant non-English language in Maine and Vermont, French was the second most-common non-English language in Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire and North Carolina. German was the most spoken language behind English and Spanish in eight states — Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Wyoming. Florida had almost a half million Haitian speakers, making it the most common language behind English and Spanish. In Minnesota and Wisconsin, Hmong was the second-most spoken non-English language at home. Despite a nationwide decline in speakers, Polish was Illinois' second-most common non-English language behind Spanish, primarily due to the Chicago area having one of the nation's largest Polish communities. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have some of the largest concentrations of Portuguese speakers in the U.S., making it the most spoken language in these states behind English and Spanish. It also is the second-most common non-English language in Utah, which is home to missionaries who served in Brazil and explains its popularity, according to the University of Utah. The Filipino language was prevalent in California, Hawaii and Nevada, where it was the second-most popular non-English tongue. In Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas, Vietnamese was the most popular language behind English and Spanish, reflecting that people who speak different languages are no longer concentrated in big cities that serve as entry points for immigrants. Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Former federal prosecutor Jonathan Fahey discusses the upcoming trial for Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, President Donald Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants and more on ‘Fox News Live.' A federal judge granted a request Wednesday from more than a dozen major news outlets and publishers to unseal certain records in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Salvadorian migrant and alleged MS-13 member who was deported from Maryland to El Salvador in March in what administration officials have acknowledged was an administrative error. Separately on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis granted a request from Abrego Garcia's legal team to file a motion for sanctions against the Trump administration. That filing is due June 11, she said in an order. The one-two punch from Xinis could give plaintiffs new ammo to pursue more formal punishments against the Trump administration if officials are found to have been acting in bad faith or knowingly defying court orders. It will also give new access to media outlets covering the case. Xinis agreed to grant in part a request from a group of 14 major media outlets and publishers – including Fox News, NBC News, CBS News, New York Times, the Washington Post and NPR – who filed a motion to unseal records in the Abrego Garcia case, citing concerns over the lack of public access, as well as over government efforts, or lack thereof, to facilitate his return to the U.S. Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump, and Pam Bondi during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. As such, Xinis ordered the Trump administration to unseal a handful of documents that have so far been filed under seal, as part of a protracted legal battle over the status of Abrego Garcia. Xinis also ordered them to unseal a transcript from an April 30 hearing in his case. "The right to public access of court records remains critical to promoting ‘trustworthiness of the judicial process, to curb judicial abuses, and to provide the public with a more complete understanding of the judicial system, including a better perception of fairness,'" she said Wednesday. The order comes amid a months-long court fight over the status of Abrego Garcia, who remains in El Salvador. Trump officials, for their part, have repeatedly alleged that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, though any formal ties remain unproven. Lawyers for the government and Abrego Garcia's attorneys have sparred with Xinis in court over what exactly it means to "facilitate" his return – a months-long fight that Xinis most recently described as beating a "frustrated and dead horse." Xinis previously took aim at what she deemed to be the lack of information submitted to the court as part of an expedited discovery process she ordered last month, describing the government submissions as "vague, evasive and incomplete" responses, and which she said demonstrated "willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations." Demonstrators gather outside the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, in March to protest the continued detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. To date, the Trump administration has not knowingly complied with any court orders to return migrants who were removed and sent to El Salvador in the early wave of deportation flights, despite earlier court orders from Xinis, Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and others. It is unclear whether Xinis plans to begin contempt proceedings against the administration, though the federal judge in D.C. said earlier this year that he had found probable cause to do so. Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

An upcoming book by former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reveals that she is no longer a member of the Democratic Party and is urging others to “think outside of our boxes.” Jean-Pierre's book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, details how the former spokeswoman for the Biden administration “didn't come to her decision to be an Independent lightly.” In an Instagram video, Jean-Pierre said people have asked her since leaving the White House, “What do we do next?” and she claimed that this new book is her answer. “And what I mean by that is in an era of misinformation, disinformation, the regressiveness of social policy, what we're seeing currently right now, what I have decided to do, and I really have thought long and hard about this, is to follow my own compass,” Jean-Pierre said. And here's the truth, and here's how I will lay it out to you: I think we need to stop thinking in boxes, and think outside of our boxes, and not be so partisan.” The former press secretary then stressed the need for unity, saying, “I will be there with you” under the condition that others respect the community “that I belong to” and other “vulnerable” communities she cares about, without elaborating exactly who that encompasses. As such, she argued her book is about looking beyond “partisan” stances in politics and how people can “move forward together.” The book's description does not mention anything about former President Joe Biden's health but does detail “the three weeks that led to Biden's abandoning” his reelection bid and “the betrayal by the Democratic Party” that he faced. Prior to Biden dropping his 2024 reelection bid, Jean-Pierre pushed back against unflattering videos of the president, which featured former President Barack Obama and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appearing to help Biden during public events. It follows the New York Times bestseller, Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. Tapper's involvement in the book has been strongly criticized, as late-night host Jon Stewart called it “f***ing weird” how the CNN anchor was selling a book containing news that could have been told to the public “a year ago, for free.”

US tariffs on steel and aluminum doubled to 50% as of 12:01 am ET on Wednesday, a move cheered by the beleaguered American steel industry but worrisome to sectors that heavily use the metals, from car makers to can manufacturers. The jump in import taxes is the latest salvo in President Donald Trump's trade war, part of a broad range of tariffs he's levied since February. But the steel tariffs are especially significant to him and his political base, a symbol of once-iconic US manufacturing that has since fallen on hard times. The leap in tariffs likely won't hit American pocketbooks immediately – but experts say that higher prices on construction projects, car lots, appliances and elsewhere are all but inevitable from the higher duties. “Domestic steel and aluminum production is imperative for our defense-industrial base,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to CNN. “The Trump administration is committed to reshoring manufacturing that's critical for our national and economic security while unleashing a full suite of supply-side reforms – including rapid deregulation, tax cuts, and unleashing American energy – to continue delivering economic relief for the American people.” The American Iron and Steel Institute, an industry trade group, said that protecting the steel industry is crucial. “We still consume more steel than we produce in America,” said Lourenco Goncalves, CEO of Cleveland Cliffs, one of the major US steelmakers, and the chairman of AISI. He said that raising the tariffs to 50% will only increase the cost of building a car by $300, which he characterized as minor in terms of the overall cost of a car. “The average cost of a car is $48,000, with an added $300, it's $48,300. Industries that use steel and aluminum also expressed concern. Can manufacturers warned that price hikes could even reach grocery store shelves. The Can Manufacturers Institute, a trade group for the industry, said domestic can makers import almost 80% of tin mill steel due to the cut in domestic production of that type of steel. It said the increase in tariffs will “further increase the cost of canned goods,” such as food and drinks. But it is not clear when or if that increase of a few cents per can will be passed onto consumers. Experts also warn there are more jobs at risk at manufacturers that use steel and aluminum than would be protected by the tariffs. “I think that's a really quintessentially damaging policy, there are (at least) 50 times more workers…in industries that use steel, like cars, than there are in the steel industry,” Larry Summers, director of the National Economic Council during the Obama administration, told CNN Monday. Trump announced a 25% tariff on steel imports in February, part of a broader effort by the White House to revive America's Rust Belt and boost manufacturing jobs. He announced the doubling of the tariffs on Friday during a trip to a US Steel mill outside of Pittsburgh. “If you don't have steel, you don't have a country,” he told a crowd filled with cheering steelworkers. Say, ‘Let's go to China to get our steel for the army tanks and for the boats and ships.' It's above all, a matter of national security.” Spot steel prices have increased 20% or more, depending on the product, since the original 25% tariffs went into effect in March, said Philip Gibbs, steel analyst for KeyBank. He said that aluminum prices have also increased, but not by as much. Overall steel prices increased 6% just between March and April, according to the government's Producer Price Index, while aluminum prices increased 2%. “They're not bashful about asking for price increases,” Gibbs said. Studies of those 2018 tariffs found that for every steel job that was saved, there were 75 jobs lost elsewhere in manufacturing due to higher input costs. (The American Iron and Steel Institute challenges those studies.) Automakers mostly source their steel used at North American plants from domestic mills, and they have long-term purchase contracts that have, so far, protected them from price increases in the spot market. That includes Cleveland Cliffs, but Goncalves said the company is not considering restarting that production even with the 50% tariffs. He also wouldn't comment on his company's pricing plans. And the tariffs could actually hurt some manufacturers they we designed to protect. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said in February the company is preparing to package more of its products in plastic and glass as opposed to aluminum to avoid the higher input costs, and that was considering only the 25% tariff rate. The Aluminum Association is seeking a carve out for Canadian imports. “We urge the administration to take a tailored approach that reserves high tariffs for bad actors—such as China—that flood the market and includes carve outs for proven partners—such as Canada,” said the trade group's statement. However, Canada's largest labor union Unifor is urging its government to retaliate with 50% tariffs on US steel and aluminum, calling the US duties a “direct threat to Canadian jobs and economic stability.” “President Trump fails to understand the chaos and damage these tariffs will inflict on workers and consumers in both Canada and the US,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a statement Wednesday. US market indices are shown in real time, except for the S&P 500 which is refreshed every two minutes. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices Copyright S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates. Market holidays and trading hours provided by Copp Clark Limited.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram highlights divisions in the Republican Party over President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' on 'Special Report.' Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Elon Musk should fund primary challenges against almost every Republican who voted for President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" last week. "I don't primary my colleagues, but I feel pretty good about him doing it," Massie told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. "There's a few others that should be spared," when asked to clarify if he meant all 215 House Republicans who supported the legislation. Musk came out against the massive Trump agenda bill that House Republicans passed last week. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. It was followed by several posts on the national debt, and one that read, "In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people." Massie said on Wednesday, "I just think he made one mistake when misstatement – he said take them out in November. Johnson issued a rare forceful response to Musk from the podium of his weekly press conference on Wednesday, calling the billionaire "flat wrong." Rep. Thomas Massie voted against President Donald Trump's agenda bill. "Elon and I left on a great note. The massive budget reconciliation bill is aimed at advancing Trump's priorities on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the debt limit. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected it would add $2.4 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years, but House GOP leaders have dismissed that modeling as inaccurate representations of economic growth. Massie was one of three House Republicans to vote against the bill. Massie is also no stranger to clashing with both Trump and Johnson. He has faced primary threats from the former and led an unsuccessful bid to remove the latter from House leadership. U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said Elon Musk was "wrong." Massie has been consistent, however, in his opposition to legislation that would have any chance of adding to the federal debt – now currently nearly $37 trillion. Republican supporters of the bill, however, have contended that it is the best possible vehicle to radically reform government programs plagued with waste, fraud and abuse, and restore much-needed funding to the border, while extending Trump's 2017 tax cuts. Fox News Digital reached out to the National Republican Congressional Committee for comment on Massie's remarks. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News. Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley also weighs in during 'The Faulkner Focus,' and discusses the latest on backlash over a Wisconsin judge's arrest. A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) claiming President Donald Trump's executive orders had threatened the independence of the Federal Election Committee (FEC), a significant — albeit rare — court victory for the president. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, a Biden appointee, said the DNC failed to demonstrate "concrete and imminent injury" — or the burden needed to justify their request for a preliminary injunction. At issue in the case was the executive order Trump signed on Feb. 18, titled, "Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies." President Donald Trump, accompanied by Pam Bondi, speaks before Bondi is sworn in as U.S. attorney general in the Oval Office at the White House in February. Notably, Ali said Tuesday that he had not found any evidence to date that the White House or the Trump administration had taken steps to change or undermine how the FEC interprets federal election law, or target its independent role. The "possibility that the president and attorney general would take the extraordinary step of issuing a directive to the FEC or its Commissioners purporting to bind their interpretation of FECA is not sufficiently concrete and imminent to create Article III injury," Ali said Tuesday. Signage is displayed during a walkthrough of the Democratic National Convention at United Center in Chicago on May 22, 2024. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) "This Court's doors are open to the parties if changed circumstances show concrete action or impact on the FEC's or its Commissioners' independence," Ali said. Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The Village of Dolton has been served a subpoena seeking records tied to a land development allegedly linked to Mayor Tiffany Henyard's boyfriend. The self-described Chicago suburb "super mayor" is facing mounting legal woes after being ousted in a landslide election following a scandal-plagued time in office. Former Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, a Democrat, has been ordered to appear for a contempt hearing after she did not turn over public records from her time in office, according to WGN 9. Tiffany Henyard attends a Cinco de Mayo event in South Holland, Illinois. "The former mayor is about to find out if losing an election is enough to escape contempt of court," Edward "Coach" Weinhaus, attorney for Edgar County Watchdogs, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Henyard was previously held in contempt of court after she failed to turn over records from her time in office, directly dismissing state transparency laws for elected officials, WGN 9 reported. Tiffany Henyard speaks at a meeting during her time as mayor. Henyard and the attorneys representing the Village of Dolton did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Last month, Jason House was sworn in as the newly elected mayor of Dolton, ending Henyard's tumultuous time in office. Henyard was also defeated by Illinois state Sen. Napoleon Harris in her bid for re-election as Thornton Township supervisor. Tiffany Henyard is facing a contempt of court hearing after failing to turn over public records. Henyard made national headlines in April 2024 after the FBI served subpoenas at Dolton Village Hall following corruption allegations against local officials, according to FOX 32 Chicago. While Henyard was not charged, village trustees voted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to lead an investigation into her administration, with the town meeting descending into chaos as supporters of Henyard clashed with her opponents following the decision. Lightfoot reportedly discovered the village's general fund fell from its initial $5.6 million balance to a $3.6 million deficit, with the local government's credit card charges adding up to over $779,000 in 2023. In February, a federal subpoena was issued, coinciding with the day Henyard was defeated in the mayoral primary, FOX 32 reported. The filing relates to a development project involving land reportedly owned by Henyard's boyfriend. Henyard is reportedly scheduled to appear in court on Friday. Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Palestinian health officials and witnesses say Israeli forces fired on people as they headed toward an aid distribution site on Tuesday, killing at least 27, in the third such incident in three days. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Shootings have erupted nearly daily since last week in the Gaza Strip in the vicinity of new hubs where desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Hospital officials say at least 80 people have been killed and hundreds wounded. The Israeli military has said it fired warning shots in several instances, and has also fired directly at a few “suspects” who ignored warnings and approached its forces. What we know about the shootings that have occurred as crowds walked toward aid distribution hubs: Palestinians carry bags filled with food and humanitarian aid provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Three aid distribution hubs are being run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a newly formed group of mainly American contractors. Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid under the U.N.-led system. But the U.N. and aid groups deny there is a significant diversion of aid to militants, and say the new system — which they have rejected — allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and won't be effective. GHF started distributing aid on May 26, following a nearly three-month Israeli blockade that has pushed Gaza's population of more than 2 million people to the brink of famine. The GHF system limits food distribution to hubs guarded by armed contractors. On Wednesday, GHF paused aid distribution, saying that it was discussing measures to improve civilian safety with the Israeli military, including changes to traffic management and troop training. All the hubs are located in Israeli military zones, where journalists have no access. To reach the sites in Rafah, Palestinians must walk for miles along a designated route where GHF says the Israeli military keeps security. But thousands of Palestinians start walking hours earlier, desperate not to miss out on food. That means large crowds passing by Israeli troops in the dark. Palestinians mourn during the funeral of Reem Al-Akhras, who was killed while heading to an aid distribution hub, in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The hub is a few hundred meters from an Israeli army base. That was when Israeli troops started firing, with guns, tanks and drones, three Palestinian witnesses said. Witnesses gave similar accounts of Tuesday's shooting, around 4 a.m. at the same roundabout. Palestinians carry Reem Al-Akhras, who was killed while heading to an aid distribution hub, during her funeral in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots Sunday at “several suspects” approaching them. On Tuesday it said it “fired to drive away suspects.” In a statement, army spokesman Effie Defrin said “the numbers of casualties published by Hamas were exaggerated” but that the incident was being investigated. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says there has been no violence in or around their distribution centers and that its personnel have not opened fire. On Tuesday, GHF acknowledged that the Israeli military was investigating whether civilians were wounded “after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone” in an area that was “well beyond our secure distribution site.” A spokesperson said GHF was “saddened to learn that a number of civilians were injured and killed after moving beyond the designated safe corridor.” Officials at the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah and at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis have reported being overwhelmed by casualties brought from areas close to the distribution sites. They have said most suffered from gunshot wounds, including women and children. Aid workers in Gaza say there is still a lot of uncertainty about what is happening and why so many people are being shot, injured and killed. Humanitarian groups had warned for weeks that having people collect aid in areas with a military presence would expose them to violence. “This was a ludicrous and ineffective distribution mechanism that was going to end up deadly, which is, tragically, exactly what we are seeing,” said Arwa Damon, founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance. Palestinians carry bags filled with food and humanitarian aid provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The existing U.N.-run system operates differently, with workers taking aid to Palestinians wherever they are. In February 2024, Israeli troops guarding an aid convoy heading to northern Gaza opened fire as a crowd of desperate Palestinians stripped supplies off the trucks. After investigating the incident, Israel said its troops fired on a “number of suspects” who ignored warning shots and advanced toward its forces. Palestinians have described a frenzied free-for-all to get food once they reach the GHF's distribution sites. Boxes of food are left piled up on pallets in an area surrounded by fences and earth berms. Witnesses say some people take multiple boxes, which quickly run out, and that many leave empty-handed. Most boxes contain flour, sugar, cooking oil, pasta and tuna cans, among other items. “Our team on the ground reports these boxes are woefully insufficient for ensuring children's well-being,” said Tess Ingram of UNICEF.

HEGSETH ‘AWOL' AT UKRAINE AID MEETING: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is en route to Brussels, Belgium, where NATO defense Ministers are gathering in what will be their last meeting before the big leaders summit at the Hague next month. But for the first time since the U.S. created what came to be known as a Ramstein group of some 50 nations contributing to Ukraine's defense, there will be no U.S. defense secretary in attendance at today's meeting. ZELENSKY: ‘RUSSIA REMAINS FULLY COMMITTED TO WAR': Even as it reels from Sunday's devastating drone attack on his long-range bomber fleet, Russia is continuing to pummel Ukrainian cities, the latest Russian rocket attack killed at least four civilians and wounded at least 25 others, including children, in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy. “Russia remains fully committed to war — and they prove this commitment of theirs with both their strikes and their statements — all of this is the argument for new sanctions against Russia, tough sanctions.” While Hegseth meets with NATO officials, Ukraine has dispatched a delegation to Washington led by Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's first deputy prime minister, and Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, for meetings with President Donald Trump's special envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg. The cessation of killings, real peace, and economic cooperation with America,” Zelensky said. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has more than 80 cosponsors — President Trump has yet to commit to signing the bill, should it also pass the House by a similar bipartisan margin. He has smartly kept this as a tool in his toolbox, if necessary,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Where is that toughness Donald Trump likes to project?” Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. HAPPENING TODAY: As President Donald Trump is pushing Congress to pass his “big, beautiful” bill of tax breaks and spending cuts by July 4th, the Senate Armed Services Committee has released a breakdown of defense spending that would be included in the budget measure. It represents a generational upgrade for our national security with historic funding for Golden Dome, American manufacturing, innovative unmanned technology, and new shipbuilding efforts,” Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said in a statement. “This is about building the future of American defense, and ultimately deterring war. And apparently, it's not a coincidence that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has picked this month to direct Navy Secretary John Phelan to find a new name for the U.S. Navy replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk, named in 2016 for the gay rights activist who gunned down in 1978 and who had served as a sailor during the Korean War. Washington Examiner: US considers shifting Greenland to command responsible for defending the homeland Washington Examiner: Hegseth mulls changing name of naval vessel named after gay veteran Harvey Milk Washington Examiner: Donald Tusk gambles on confidence vote after right wing wins Polish presidency Washington Examiner: ICE arrests wife and children of Boulder attack suspect Mahomed Sabry Soliman Washington Examiner: ICE targets visa overstayers following Boulder terrorist attack: ‘There's a big push' AP: Ukraine's drone attack on Russian warplanes was a serious blow to the Kremlin's strategic arsenal The War Zone: Latest on Russian Aircraft Loss Assessments from Ukrainian Drone Strikes AP: Iran's supreme leader criticizes US proposal in nuclear talks but doesn't reject the idea of a deal New York Times: U.S. Proposes Interim Step in Iran Nuclear Talks Allowing Some Enrichment Air & Space Forces Magazine: Experts Weigh in on Lessons Learned From Ukraine's Drone Attack Air & Space Forces Magazine: Transgender Troops Face Tough Decision As Deadline to Self-ID Looms 10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “Dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations in the Americas,” with testimony from Celina Realuyo, adjunct professor, George Washington University https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/ 2:30 p.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing: “China's Malign Influence in Africa,” with testimony from Troy Fitrell, senior officials, State Department Bureau of African Affairs https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/chinas-malign-influence-in-africa 2 p.m. — New America virtual book discussion: “The Future of Deception in War: Lessons from Ukraine,” with co-author Peter Singer, New America strategist and senior fellow; and co-author Mick Ryan, author of War Transformed https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/events/the-future-of-deception-in-war-lessons-from-ukraine/

CNN's Harry Enten tells Erin Burnett that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's infomercial aired about 181 times per day at its peak in 2012. CNN's Harry Enten tells Erin Burnett that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's infomercial aired about 181 times per day at its peak in 2012. The All-American Rejects played a backyard gig in Columbia, Missouri, as part of their House Party Tour protesting against expensive arena shows. Police eventually shut it down, but not before letting the band play one final song. Costume Designer Brenda Abbandandolo mixed vintage, thrifted clothing with precise recreations of 1950s style to bring the Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck to life. Tune in to CNN on Saturday, June 7 at 7pm to watch the play broadcast live from Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre. A video posted online appears to show Antoine Massey, one of two men who remains on the run after escaping a New Orleans jail, declaring his innocence. A transgender athlete, whose participation sparked a national controversy and a temporary rule change, took first place in two of her three events in the California High School Track and Field Championship. Eliana DeVos received a dressing made with fish skin to help her recover from a serious bacterial infection that left an open wound on her neck. CNN's Jacqueline Howard spoke with Eliana's mom and her health team at Driscoll Children's Hospital about the healing process. Millions of bees escape after a truck carrying honeybee hives overturned in Whatcom County, Washington, and rolled into a ditch. Swift announced the news in a letter posted to her website. Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution captured close-up images of a WWI-era submarine lost at sea 108 years ago. The veterans hall will be closed for months for a second time after the latest crash, according to CNN affiliate KCTV. A Southern elephant seal makes a surprise visit to the residential neighborhood of Gordon's Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, and triggers an almost nine-hour rescue effort to return him to the coast. Beauty is buying Hailey Bieber's makeup brand, Rhode, for $1 billion. An annual race held in England has attracted thousands around the world. CNN's Laura Coates speaks with Benjamin Chew, co-lead counsel for Johnny Depp in his defamation trial, about whether Sean "Diddy" Combs should testify in his high stakes criminal trial. Regrouping after two consecutive explosions, SpaceX launched the 9th test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built. A flight from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, was delayed for about an hour after two birds tried to stow away on a Delta Air Lines flight.

(AP) — The Justice Department is dropping a lawsuit that it filed against White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, a case in which he was accused of using an unofficial email account for government work and wrongfully retaining presidential records during the first Trump administration, according to a Tuesday court filing. The joint filing by the Justice Department and an attorney for Navarro doesn't explain why they are abandoning a case that was filed in 2022, during President Joe Biden's term in office. The one-page filing says each side will bear their own fees and costs. The lawsuit accused Navarro of using at least one “non-official” email account — a ProtonMail account — to send and receive emails. The legal action comes just weeks after Navarro was indicted on criminal charges after refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Navarro served a four-month prison sentence after being found guilty of misdemeanor charges. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. A lawyer for Navarro didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Navarro served as a trade adviser during President Donald Trump's first term. A longtime critic of trade arrangements with China, he has been named senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for Trump's second administration.

How a Catholic theocrat started speaking for Trump's State Department. Last week, the State Department published a strikingly radical screed on its official Substack. These Western nations, according to author Samuel Samson, have turned on their own heritage: abandoning democracy in favor of a repressive liberalism that threatens to snuff out the heart of their own civilization. Rather, it is trampling democracy, and Western heritage along with it, in the name of a decadent governing class afraid of its own people,” Samson writes. Samson asserts that German and French criminal investigations into far-right factions are politically motivated repression, but provides no evidence to support this extraordinary claim about the internal politics of key allies. He presents a bizarre intellectual history of the Declaration of Independence, replacing Jefferson's chief influences (Enlightenment liberals) with Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas. The essay isn't just poorly argued: It has policy implications. Samson both insults and threatens allied governments, implying there will be some kind of US punishment if European states do not change their policies on free speech, election administration, and (for some reason) migration. “Secretary Rubio has made clear that the State Department will always act in America's national interest. Europe's democratic backsliding not only impacts European citizens but increasingly affects American security and economic ties, along with the free speech rights of American citizens and companies,” he writes. His last job was “Director of Strategic Partnerships” (a fundraising position) for American Moment, a right-wing organization dedicated to identifying Trump-aligned young people for junior staff jobs. His own publicly available writing suggests that it is the result of a deliberate strategy — an effort to seed the US government with radical opponents of philosophical liberalism who aim to replace it with a form of illiberal Christian government. Samson described this strategy, in a 2021 essay, as “the infiltration of liberalism's powerful institutions by right-wing post-liberal agents.” He said the strategy was worth pursuing, and that American Moment was an organization dedicated to turning the basic idea into “tangible action.” (Neither State nor American Moment responded to requests for comment.) His ascent in the State Department is concrete evidence that this radical right strategy of “entryism” — a small group trying to join another organization with the attempt of changing it from within — is yielding dividends. So when the State Department published Samson's piece on its Substack, it sent an unmistakable message not just to Europe but to likeminded right-wing radicals: They could begin more openly planting their flag atop conquered territory. About a decade ago, Harvard Law School professor Adrian Vermeule became famous for advocating an idea called “integralism:” basically, a right-wing Catholic doctrine that calls for the abolition of the barrier between church and state. He viewed liberalism, in the philosophical sense, as an abomination, its obsession with rights and freedoms fundamentally corrosive of the “traditional” moral values that Vermeule believes are essential for human flourishing. But how could you possibly get to such a society in the United States, where 20 percent of the population is Catholic — most of whom are themselves not Vermeule disciples? His answer, which he calls either “ralliement” or “integration from within,” is an entryist campaign targeting the bureaucracy. You get a few key people into positions of power, and then they quietly nudge the citizenry toward a place where they will accept some kind of “postliberal' state. These arguments helped make Vermeuele a leading voice in the so-called postliberal movement: a loose group of right-wing religious conservatives who shared his radical critique of our current political institutions (if not his integralist solution). Postliberal ideas became particularly popular among young conservatives, who felt that the pre-Trump conservative consensus was exhausted and out of date. Calling Vermeuele's ideas “the popular blueprint for America's burgeoning post-liberal right,” Samson wrote that “I believe the offensive strategy is…worth our effort.” His concern, however, is that the strategy risks corruption: that young bureaucrats and Hill staffers residing in Washington will be corrupted by living in a place defined by liberal values. It is a sign that a truly radical ideological movement has begun successfully executing on its stated strategy for entering the political mainstream. Somewhat ironically, Samson's next move was to become a fundraiser. “Real change,” Vance wrote, would require that we come to grips with the fact that so much of Conservatism, Inc. depends on the status quo.” American Moment worked on Project 2025, and Sharma is currently serving as a special adviser to the Presidential Policy Office (which supervises hiring of executive branch political appointees). American Moment is not exactly as Samson described it before he worked there. While his 2021 essay claimed it was built to implement Vermeule's integralist ideas, its leaders took a more ecumenical approach. They elevated conservatives from all sorts of different right-wing subcultures, not just Catholic postliberals, so long as they had the right Trump-friendly policy views. “The basic approach of, ‘Well, we're going to do our -ism and do politics that way' falls apart,” Sharma told Politico's Ian Ward in 2023. “You're basically signing yourself up to be a loud but ultimately defeated minority.” Yet the fact that an integralist like Samson was able to succeed there, and then use it as a jumping-off point to a senior position in the Trump administration, suggests it facilitated the success of Vermeule-inspired righties. Attempts to build a more Trump-friendly set of conservative cadres would invariably create opportunities for radical young right-wingers, especially if they were already thinking about entryist strategies for politics. That elements of the top leadership were sympathetic — most notably Vance, a self-described “postliberal” deeply influenced by Vermeuele's ideological allies — surely helped things along. The State Department op-ed, in short, is not a one-off. It is a sign that a truly radical ideological movement has begun successfully executing on its stated strategy for entering the political mainstream. In 2015, right-wing intellectual Charles Murray wrote a book laying the groundwork for DOGE's reign of terror. A glimpse into the bitter infighting consuming MAGA's intellectual ranks. White House policy is being hatched in elite conservative bubbles.

South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung said in his inaugural address after taking office that his government will deal with potential North Korean aggressions with “a strong deterrence” based on the solid South Korea-U.S. military alliance. South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung visited the National Cemetery in Seoul before his inauguration ceremony. Lee paid tribute at the National Cemetery with First Lady Kim Hea Kyung. South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung said he'll pursue dialogue with North Korea while bolstering a trilateral partnership with the U.S. and Japan, during his inaugural address after taking office Wednesday. South Korea's newly-elected President Lee Jae-myung and his wife Kim Hea Kyung arrive for his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul Wednesday, June 4, 2025. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung bows as he delivers a speech after taking his oath during his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 4, 2025. South Korea's newly elected President Lee Jae-myung, right, greets his neighbors and supporters in front of his house in Incheon, South Korea, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung vowed Wednesday to restart dormant talks with North Korea and bolster a trilateral partnership with the U.S. and Japan, as he laid out key policy goals for his single, five-year term. Lee, who rose from childhood poverty to become South Korea's leading liberal politician vowing to fight inequality and corruption, began his term earlier Wednesday, hours after winning a snap election that was triggered in April by the removal of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol over his ill-fated imposition of martial law late last year. In his inaugural address at the National Assembly, Lee said that his government will deal with North Korean nuclear threats and its potential military aggressions with “strong deterrence” based on the South Korea-U.S. military alliance. “Through pragmatic diplomacy based on national interests, we will turn the crisis posed by the major shift in global economic and security landscapes into an opportunity to maximize our national interests,” Lee said. It was unclear whether Lee's election would cause any major, immediate shift in South Korea's foreign policy. “It's hard to predict with absolute certainty how he will deal with the U.S., North Korea, Japan and China because he's changed his position so much,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security. “We can expect tensions if his government doesn't align with Washington's approach to China and Japan.” The toughest external challenges awaiting Lee are U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy and North Korea's expanding military partnerships with Russia. But experts earlier said whoever becomes president can't do much to secure major progress in South Korea's favor on those issues. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung bows as he delivers a speech after taking his oath during his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 4, 2025. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he wants to hold summit talks with Lee “as early as possible,” saying he hopes to further promote bilateral ties, both public and commercial. North Korea in recent years has supplied weapons and troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine, and South Korea, the U.S. and their partners suspect Russia might in return transfer high-tech technologies to North Korea to help it perfect its nuclear weapons program. Russia's Tass news agency said Wednesday that top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu has arrived in Pyongyang for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in the latest sign of the countries' booming exchanges. Lee has said he would support Trump's moves to restart nuclear diplomacy with Kim Jong Un as part of efforts to engage with North Korea. “Lee and Trump would personally want to resume dialogue with Kim Jong Un. Lee Jae-myung also nominated his key political ally and veteran lawmaker Kim Min-seok as prime minister, the government's No. Lee is expected to nominate other top Cabinet members in coming days. Lee called for unity to address the country's stark political divide deepened after Yoon's martial law debacle, saying that he will “answer the people's solemn call to let hope bloom over deep and painful wounds.” Lee still promised a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Yoon's martial law imposition, describing it as a “rebellion that seized people's sovereignty with arms.” Lee said revitalizing a slowing domestic economy would be his top priority and that his government would immediately launch an emergency task force to wage a “head-on battle” against the threats of recession. He also promised more aggressive government spending to help spur economic activity. South Korea's central bank last week cut its key interest rate and sharply lowered its growth outlook for 2025 to 0.8%, as it moved to counter Trump's tariff hikes and weak domestic demand worsened by recent political turmoil. Before his inauguration, Lee visited the national cemetery in Seoul to pay his respects to late Korean leaders, patriots and war dead who are buried there, and he had a telephone call with Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Kim Myung-soo to call for military readiness against possible North Korean aggression.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, right, and Secretary of Iranian National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian shake hands during the 13th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Russia's top security official was in North Korea on Wednesday for talks with the country's leader, the Russian Tass news agency reported, the latest sign of the two autocratic countries' alignment over Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu are expected to discuss details on the strategic partnership agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang, which Kim and Putin signed in June 2024. The talks will also touch on “issues on the international agenda, including the situation around Ukraine,” Russian media reported, citing the Security Council's press team. Shoigu, formerly Russia's defense minister, last traveled to Pyongyang in late March. In April, the Kremlin confirmed that North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russian forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. At the time, Putin praised North Korean soldiers who he said stood “shoulder to shoulder with Russian fighters, defended our Motherland as their own.” Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said in January that Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk — the first such claim by Kyiv since North Korea sent thousands of troops to shore up Moscow's war effort on the other side of the world.

Former President Joe Biden‘s use of the autopen and his mental state during major White House green energy policy announcements will be aired out in Congress on Wednesday. In a hearing titled “NGOs gone wild,” the House Oversight Committee will parse claims that the Biden administration handed out billions of dollars to left-leaning nongovernmental organizations and that an autopen was used to sign sweeping executive orders that Biden never spoke about publicly. “But we couldn't even find any instance of Joe Biden in his own words, in his own voice, speaking about having signed [these executive orders], the need for it, the purpose of it, et cetera.” Those findings fold into the wider autopen accusations Republicans are leveling at Biden, questioning whether he coordinated or was even aware of his own administration's actions. Aside from Congress, the Justice Department is also investigating Biden's use of the autopen when he signed pardons, including those involving political allies and family members. The actions included an offshore drilling ban that covered 625 million acres of the Outer Continental Shelf, a commitment for the entire federal government to reach “net-zero” emissions by 2050 and require carbon-free electricity by 2030, a memo invoking the Defense Production Act to push solar panels and heat pumps, an arctic drilling ban, and a leasing requirement for artificial intelligence data centers to be powered using “clean energy.” Biden visited New Orleans that day to pay respects to the victims of a New Year's Day attack that killed 14 people and injured others. The Defense Production Act order was authorized on June 6, 2022, and while former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre publicly defended it in a news briefing, Biden did not have any public events scheduled that day. Turner, in researching the matter, was particularly struck by a story House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told after meeting with Biden late last year. According to Johnson, he tried to confront Biden about a liquefied natural gas export ban, but the former president insisted he hadn't signed one. The initial reaction to that claim was that Biden had forgotten about signing the ban, but Turner said he now wonders if Biden ever had knowledge of signing it at all. President Donald Trump has now overturned all eight of the executive actions in question. The committee will also discuss billions of taxpayer dollars going toward NGOs. Turner's written testimony holds that Jahi Wise, a staffer from an NGO called the Coalition for Green Capital, joined the Biden Environmental Protection Agency to direct $27 billion in green energy funding. Once appointed, he steered $5 billion in grants back to the Coalition for Green Capital. Another group, Power Forward Communities, was only a few months old when it received nearly $9 billion in taxpayer dollars to use as it saw fit. Of that total, $2 billion went to a group affiliated with former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, which had only $100 in its bank account. Also testifying will be Center for Immigration Studies Executive Director Mark Krikorian, who will speak on what he said are Biden administration grants to NGOs that helped facilitate illegal immigration. “[An NGO] provided millions of intending illegal border-crossers with ‘cash-based interventions' in the form of debit cards and even cash in envelopes, as well as legal coaching that involved narrative engineering for fraudulent asylum claims, transportation facilitation, food, camping equipment, trail advice, and lodging assistance,” Krikorian's written testimony says. For example, Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, said in February that he was stunned to learn how much government money went to “far-left NGOs” under the Biden administration. “In a very literal sense, America's state-owned enterprises are left-wing nonprofits,” he told reporters outside the White House. “Other countries, their state-owned enterprises are like steel companies, right? In America, we learned our state-owned enterprises are radical left nonprofits.” In a similar vein, Vice President JD Vance hit back at criticism of his immigration stance from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, saying that organization received “over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants.” Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?” Vance said.