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Crews begin stripping Trump name from Kennedy Center after court ruling, weather delay

Workers began stripping President Trump’s name from the exterior of the Kennedy Center early Saturday morning, hours past a court-ordered deadline.   Justice Department (DOJ) attorneys representing the historic performing arts center asked a district court late Friday evening for a 12-hour extension to the 11:59 p.m. Friday deadline. The attorneys cited safety concerns due…

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GOP divided on pursuing third reconciliation amid election tensions

Republicans are divided over whether to pursue a third party-line spending package, with some lawmakers expressing skepticism that such an ambitious effort can clear Congress in a high-stakes election year. GOP leaders and top budget writers have already begun laying the groundwork for a third package, which they hope will include defense funding, fraud prevention…

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Screwworm spread tests US readiness after Trump staffing cuts

The U.S. spent decades driving the New World screwworm far into South America. But now the parasite has reemerged, and officials are working to beat it back yet again using many of the same tried-and-true methods as the government did in the 1950s.  Experts have been tracking the path of parasitic fly as it moved steadily northward…

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FISA 702 lapse plunges US into unknown territory

The unprecedented expiration of the nation’s warrantless spy powers has plunged the country into legal uncertainty over the extent to which it can surveil foreigners located abroad.  Both chambers of Congress on Thursday failed to pass bills to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through July 2 amid outrage from Democrats…

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US forces shoot down Iranian drones targeting ships in Strait of Hormuz: Centcom

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said on Friday that U.S. forces shot down an unspecified number of Iranian one-way attack drones in the Strait of Hormuz, as an emerging deal between the two nations hangs in the balance. Centcom wrote on the social platform X that Iran had launched “multiple one-way attack drones” targeting commercial ships…

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Trump says US military killed Venezuelan gang leader

President Trump announced late Friday that U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) launched a strike that killed the leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. A “swift and lethal kinetic strike” killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. Tren de Aragua is a…

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Marjorie Taylor Greene: UFC fights don’t belong on White House lawn

President Trump’s plan to celebrate his 80th birthday with a UFC viewing on the White House lawn is drawing skepticism from former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who says the location is inappropriate. “I think UFC fights are great. I enjoy watching them, but to be honest with you, I don’t really think they belong…

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Judge orders restoration of National Parks displays removed under Trump executive order

A federal judge in Massachusetts has ordered the Trump administration to reinstall displays it removed from National Parks sites over the past year as part of a crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) content and climate change information. A group of park advocacy organizations sued the Interior Department, National Park Service and its leaders…

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Appeals panel denies last-ditch effort to keep Trump’s name on Kennedy Center

A federal appeals court panel denied the Trump administration’s last-ditch effort to halt an end-of-day deadline to remove the president’s name from the exterior of the Kennedy Center.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s order allows the deadline to remain until the next stage of the appeal. The schedule indicates the next ruling won’t be until at least June 29.  It means Trump’s name is required to be removed from the exterior of…

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Justice Department approves Paramount bid to acquire Warner Bros.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved Paramount’s $110 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, according to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the merger between the two global entertainment giants. A DOJ analysis determined that the transaction “is not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers”…

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Trillionaire Elon Musk makes history with SpaceX IPO: 5 takeaways

Elon Musk’s SpaceX went public Friday, setting a new record with its stock market debut and turning the tech mogul into the world’s first trillionaire. The highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) popped 11 percent when trading officially opened on the Nasdaq, sending the company’s valuation soaring to a massive $1.96 trillion. Here are five…

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Leaked Iran deal details anger Trump

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} View Online Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Leaked Iran deal details anger Trump President Trump on Thursday lauded an Iran deal he said could be signed as soon as this weekend. As Iranian state media leaked what it said were details…

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Democrat urges Comer to call Vance, White House officials for questioning over Epstein files report

A top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee urged Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) on Friday to call several Trump administration officials in for testimony following an explosive report on the White House’s purported efforts to contain the scandal surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) pressed Comer in a letter to “take immediate steps”…

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Google accuses Chinese cybercrime network of using its AI

Google has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese cybercrime network, alleging the hackers are using the company’s Gemini artificial intelligence models and tools to build phishing software to rob consumers. The lawsuit, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges the network created a phishing software called “Outsider” that…

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Comer requests Dershowitz interview in Epstein investigation

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) has formally requested that lawyer Alan Dershowitz testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of its ongoing probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. “Due to public reporting, documents released by the Department of Justice, documents obtained by the Committee, and your former role as Mr.…

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DOJ sues over Virginia mask ban for federal agents

The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Virginia on Thursday over its new requirements, including a mask ban, for federal agents operating in the commonwealth, alleging the laws are an “unconstitutional attempt to regulate” federal law enforcement operations.  “Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe, and they do not deserve to…

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Judge won’t halt deadline to take Trump’s name off Kennedy Center

A federal judge on Friday rejected an eleventh-hour attempt by the Kennedy Center to pause the removal of President Trump’s name from the renowned performing arts center while an appeal plays out. The institution’s board had asked Judge Christopher Cooper to halt his previous order requiring that Trump’s name come off the facade of the…

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Judge finds no authority to reinstate Yosemite ranger fired for trans flag 

A federal judge ruled Friday that she has no authority to reinstate a Yosemite National Park ranger who was fired for unfurling a transgender pride flag at the El Capitan rock formation last year. The decision doesn’t address Shannon “SJ” Joslin’s allegation that the firing selectively targeted them for speech protected by the First Amendment.…

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Judge refuses to block White House UFC fight

A federal judge on Friday refused two Virginia residents’ request to block this weekend’s UFC event on the White House South Lawn, ruling they have no right to challenge the fight. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said the two had no legal standing because they hadn’t shown the event, timed to Flag Day and President Trump’s 80th…

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