© AP Photo/Charlie Riedel |
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Trump aide testifies before Jan. 6 grand jury |
Another former Trump White House aide has reportedly testified before the grand jury in the Justice Department‘s Jan. 6 investigation as a decision on whether to bring charges against the former president appears to be nearing.
Former special assistant to Trump and deputy director of presidential advance operations Will Russell, who was with Trump for part of the day on Jan. 6, 2021, appeared for testimony Thursday, according to multiple reports. It is at least the third time Russell has testified, according to CNN, which reported that he has continued to work for the former president.
Trump said Sunday he received notice he’s a target in the investigation and that he was given until today to appear before the grand jury — “a chance to offer his own evidence in the case,” The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch and Brett Samuels explained.
Russell’s appearance follows testimony from several former White House officials, including reported appearances from Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and former communications aide Hope Hicks. See a list of Trump associates who’ve testified here. Special Counsel Jack Smith has been investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. If charged, Trump would face his third indictment this year, including his second on federal charges stemming from the probe led by Smith. Trump has pleaded not guilty to previous charges. |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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The Senate confirmed David Uhlmann as enforcement chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, two years after President Biden initially nominated him.
The House passed a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on a 351-69 vote. Next, the Senate considers their bill, after which the chambers need to resolve any differences by Sept. 30, The Hill’s Mychael Schnell reports here.
The Cook Political Report shifted Rep. Lauren Boebert‘s (R-Colo.) 3rd District race from “lean Republican” to “toss-up” after recent campaign finance reports showed Democrat Adam Frisch raised more than three times Boebert’s haul last quarter.
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RFK takes Capitol by storm |
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who’s been previously banned from Instagram and had some of his content removed on other sites, testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on the topic of censorship.
Several Democrats decried House Republicans’ decision as giving a platform to someone who’s made baseless claims about COVID-19, vaccines and more.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said, “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a living, breathing false-flag operation” whose “whole campaign is being run by right-wing political operatives who have one objective: try to take down President Joe Biden.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Monday that while he disagreed with Kennedy’s recent comments about COVID-19 possibly being ethnically targeted, “The hearing that we have this week is about censorship. … I don’t think censoring somebody is actually the answer here.” Kennedy said Thursday, “I’ve never been anti-vaxx, I have never told the public to avoid vaccination. … I believe vaccines should be tested with the same rigor as other medicines and medications.”
The candidate has also pushed back on criticisms of his recent comments about COVID-19’s origins.
Kennedy is running as a long-shot challenger to Biden, who has maintained a large lead in primary polls. Still, Democrats have become increasingly suspicious of White House bids from Kennedy and third-party hopefuls.
Read more: Jordan says RFK Jr. post on Hank Aaron was ‘just pointing out facts’ |
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Senate panel advances SCOTUS ethics reform bill
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The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a Supreme Court ethics reform bill, with support from all 11 Democrats and opposition from all 10 Republicans on the panel. The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act “would require justices to adopt a code of conduct and create a transparent process for members of the public to submit ethics complaints against members of the court,” The Hill’s Alexander Bolton summarized.
The bill calls for disclosure rules for gifts, travel and income comparable to what members of Congress are held to. It comes “in the wake of media reports that conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito accepted tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts and perks from wealthy Republican donors,” Bolton noted. Read the full report here |
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Sanders, White House in standoff over NIH nominee
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The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel dives into the standoff between the White House and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, over the Biden administration’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Monica Bertagnolli. “Bertagnolli was nominated in May,” Weixel wrote, “but Sanders has said he won’t hold a hearing on any health nominee until he sees a ‘robust’ plan from the White House about lowering drug prices.” Read the report here
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Monthly payment for typical home at all-time high: report
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A report from real estate brokerage Redfin shows monthly payments for a typical home have reached a record high of $2,656, with the sale price of a typical home hitting $382,500. |
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2 in 5 Millennials, Gen Z say marriage an outdated tradition
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Two in 5 adults under the age of 43 said marriage is an outdated tradition, though 5 in 6 still plan to get married someday, according to a survey from the Thriving Center of Psychology. |
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“What Dolly the sheep can teach us about regulating AI” — Christopher Caine, president of the New York-based nonprofit Center for Global Enterprise, and David Beier, a San Francisco-based venture capitalist and former chief of domestic policy for Vice President Al Gore. (Read here)
“Don’t ban ChatGPT: Teach students to do what it can’t do” — Jennifer L. Steele, a professor of education at American University. (Read here) |
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34 days until the first GOP presidential debate. 474 days until the presidential election. |
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10 a.m.: The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations holds a field hearing in Goodyear, Ariz., called “Securing Supply Chains: Access to Critical Minerals in the American Southwest.” |
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