US Rep. Thomas Massie loses Kentucky GOP primary to Ed Gallrein in another victory for Trump
HEBRON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie has lost his Republican House primary after a concerted effort by President Donald Trump to oust him through challenger and ultimate winner Ed Gallrein. The result shows the president’s persisting influence over GOP voters. It also adds to a growing number of Trump-backed primary challengers to defeat Republican lawmakers who angered him in his second term. Massie has served in Congress since 2012. He angered Trump by pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, criticizing the war in Iran and voting against his signature tax legislation last year. Also Tuesday, Republicans statewide also chose their Senate nominee: U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, who was endorsed by Trump.
The Latest: Gallrein defeats Massie in Kentucky, furthering Trump’s hold on GOP
There are primary elections happening in Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Idaho and Pennsylvania. Ed Gallrein won Republican nomination for U.S. House in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, beating incumbent Thomas Massie. In Georgia, Republicans are choosing a challenger to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. In Pennsylvania, Democratic voters are picking their nominees to flip four Republican-held seats seen as critical for the party to retake the U.S. House. And Oregon voters are deciding whether to raise the gas tax.
San Diego mosque shooters met online and left writings expressing hate, FBI says
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Authorities say the two teenagers who shot and killed three people in an attack on a California mosque had been radicalized online where they first met. Investigators said Tuesday that the pair shared white supremacist views and left behind writings showing their hatred toward various races and religions. Authorities also found at least 30 guns, ammunition and a crossbow at two residences after Monday’s attack. Authorities praised the security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego and two other men who were killed for slowing the attackers. They say the victims helped stop the attackers from reaching schoolchildren just steps away. Police have said the shooters killed themselves.
Blanche doesn't rule out considering payments for violent Jan. 6 rioters as he defends $1.8B fund
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out the possibility of compensating individuals involved in violence during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot from a new $1.776 billion fund. During a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, Blanche stated that anyone who believes they were politically targeted can apply for the “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” The fund, announced Monday, aims to compensate those mistreated by previous administrations' Justice Departments. Blanche emphasized that the fund is not limited to any political party or specific individuals. Some Democrats have criticized the fund as an abuse of power, while some Republicans have expressed discomfort with it.
US government agrees to drop tax claims against Trump in broadening of IRS lawsuit settlement
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has agreed to permanently drop tax claims against President Donald Trump, according to a settlement document that is part of a deal to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. As part of the settlement agreement, the U.S. is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization’s current tax issues, according to a one-page document posted to the DOJ website on Tuesday.
Trump shows reporters ballroom construction site as lawmakers balk at $1B for White House security
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is defending the White House ballroom he's building. He showed off the construction site to a group of reporters on Tuesday. The surprise visit comes days after the Senate parliamentarian said a proposal to pay for $1 billion in security additions to the White House campus could not be included in a bill currently before Congress. Raising his voice over the banging and clanging of loud construction equipment, Trump described the ballroom's security features, repeated that taxpayer money isn't paying to build it and called it a "gift to the United States of America.”
Senate advances bill aimed at ending Iran war as Cassidy, after primary loss, flips to support
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has advanced legislation that seeks to force President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Iran war. The 50-47 vote tally showed that a small but growing number of Republicans are willing to challenge Trump on the Iran war, even though the effort may not advance much further. Three Republicans were absent Tuesday and their vote would be enough to defeat the measure, if they maintain their stance on the war. But Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy — fresh off a primary election loss in which Trump endorsed his opponent — delivered a crucial vote Tuesday to advance the war powers resolution.
WHO chief concerned over 'scale and speed' of Ebola outbreak as Congo reports 134 dead
BUNIA, Congo (AP) — The World Health Organization director-general has expressed concern over the rapid spread of a rare type of Ebola in eastern Congo. Authorities have reported at least 134 suspected deaths and over 500 cases. The Bundibugyo virus has no approved treatments or vaccines. The outbreak has been declared a public health emergency requiring international response. The virus has spread to urban areas, raising fears of further spread and deaths. A WHO official on the ground says any vaccine approved for use would still take about two months to become available. The region was already facing a humanitarian crisis, complicating outbreak response efforts.
More than 17,000 under evacuation orders as Southern California wildfire threatens homes
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — More than 17,000 people are under evacuation orders as a wildfire continues to threaten suburban homes in Southern California. The Sandy Fire in hills above Simi Valley, northwest of Los Angeles, had consumed more than two square miles of dry brush as of Tuesday. The fire is 5% contained, and the cause is under investigation. Evacuation orders and warnings are still in place for several neighborhoods in Simi Valley, a city of more than 125,000 people. Meanwhile, firefighters are battling a 23-square-mile blaze on Santa Rosa Island, off the Southern California coast. It has no containment.
Arsenal wins its first Premier League title in 22 years after Man City draws with Bournemouth
Arsenal was crowned Premier League champion for the first time since 2004 after Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth. The result put an end to City’s title challenge with one round of the season go. Pep Guardiola’s team needed to win at the Vitality Stadium to take it down to the final game of the campaign on Sunday. But the draw left Arsenal with an unassailable four-point lead at the top, ending its 22-year wait for the title. Arsenal fans celebrated wildly outside its Emirates Stadium. The players did likewise after gathering to watch the game at the club’s training ground.
