Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, defended Senate Minority Leader Chuck SchumerDN.Y., in an exclusive interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” urging House Democrats to stay in their chamber instead of focusing on the party’s leadership in the Senate.
“I’m not telling Ro Khanna or AOC or anyone else who they should pick as House leader, because I got a full-time job as a senator,” Kaine said, referring to Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
The two politicians criticized Senate leadership after eight Democrats, including Kaine, sided with Republicans on a funding bill to reopen the government that did not expand Affordable Care Act subsidies.
As part of the deal, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he would vote on extending health care subsidies. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, has not made a similar promise.
“Frankly, I looked at the situation last weekend as if we had no path, none, to a health care solution until we reopened the government,” Kaine told moderator Kristen Welker. “Now we have a path, not a guarantee, but at least we have a path.”
Border Patrol operations begin in Charlotte as officials urge calm
Federal agents began making arrests in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday, as Border Patrol deployments began in the city, a change the Department of Homeland Security said was intended to “ensure Americans are safe and threats to public safety are eliminated.”
Local officials had sought to reassure residents as the impending operations created anxiety across the region, emphasizing that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is not involved in federal immigration law enforcement and urging the community to remain peaceful.
In recent months, federal immigration agencies have undertaken high-profile operations in cities such as Chicago, where a court order cited the warrantless detention of 85% of people arrested under Operation Midway Blitz and required the release of hundreds of detainees. In Portland, Oregon, reports of protest activity and federal troop deployments tied to immigration enforcement sparked legal action and scrutiny over the use of force.
‘Meet the press’
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., one of two House lawmakers leading the push for the Trump administration to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein, said the effort is “not about Donald Trump” and asked the president to meet with survivors of Epstein’s abuse.
“What we’re asking for is justice for the survivors,” Khanna told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “So it’s not about Donald Trump. I don’t even know how involved Trump was. There are a lot of other people involved who need to be held accountable.”
Khanna said many of the survivors who have spoken publicly about their experiences with Epstein will be in Washington on Tuesday and will ask Trump to meet with them.
The California congressman successfully teamed up with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on a petition asking the Justice Department to release any documents it has related to Epstein. Last week, the petition reached 218 signatures, which will force a vote on the measure in the House.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who later appeared on “Meet the Press,” called Khanna’s efforts to release Epstein’s files “an attempt by Democrats to make Trump an outgoing president.”
“I think there are much more important things to talk about right now to get the country back on track,” he added.
Politics in brief
- Consequences of the dispute: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., once one of President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters, said she has been receive threats after the president’s criticism of her on social networks.
- Man, oh ‘manosphere’: Democratic candidates and operatives are working on how renew the party’s appeal to young menamid some signs of progress after a strong wake-up call in 2024.
- Back home: Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said on social media that he is with his family and fully recovered after being hospitalized for a fall caused by a serious cardiac episode last week.
- Threat of lawsuit: President Donald Trump said he will sue the BBC for billions of dollars after the British public broadcaster published a misleading edit of one of his speeches.
Taps run dry as water crisis forces Iran to consider evacuating its capital
A drastic new message adorns the walls of the Iranian capital, usually reserved for war heroes and weapons.
“There is a water shortage!” “, reads the motto of the government poster, inside an almost empty water container. “It’s autumn and it’s not raining yet.”
That’s not news to Erfan Ensani, 39, who returned home last week after a long day of work in the textile section of Tehran’s central bazaar to find his taps were dry.
Iran is faces its worst water crisis in decades. With no end in sight and authorities warning they may even have to evacuate the capital of 10 million people, residents like Ensani are rushing to respond.
Jets cornerback Kris Boyd in critical condition after shooting in New York
Jets cornerback Kris Boyd He is in critical condition after a shooting in New York City. early Sunday morning, according to a police source familiar with the investigation.
Police responded to Manhattan’s Sei Less restaurant and bar around 2:09 a.m. ET and found the 29-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to the New York Police Department.
A law enforcement source said Boyd was involved in a fight when the shooting occurred. According to police, no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
In a statement, a Jets spokesperson said the team is “aware of the situation” involving Boyd “and will have no further comment at this time.”
- A heavyweight battle on ‘SNF’: The Detroit Lions head to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in what could be the preview of the postseason. NBC News covers all the action.
notable quote
It feels like the ultimate shortcut to stardom: no nights in smoky bars, no raw vulnerability in the lyrics, just algorithms crunching data to mimic the tone of authenticity.
Leslie Fram, founder of a Nashville-based creative consulting group
Breaking Rust is a mysterious stranger who came to town and topped a country music chart. But there is a problem: It may not be realjoining a growing list of artists suspected of being powered by generative AI.
In case you missed it
- Heavy Rain Flooded camps in Gazaworsening conditions for displaced Palestinians.
- A Mega Millions player in Georgia won the $980 million jackpotovercoming abysmal odds to win the grand prize.
- Alicia Wong, an activist for the rights of people with disabilities and author whose independence and writing inspired others, died aged 51.
- ByHeart infant formula recalled due to botulism outbreak putting parents on edge.
- The Screen Actors Guild Awards will be changing your name to the Actor Awards in 2026.
- Pope Leo XIV welcomed Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig and dozens of other Hollywood luminaries to a vatican special audience.
- Todd Snider, a singer whose cosmic stoner songwriting made him a beloved figure in American roots music, died at 59.
