Pushback against Pulte
Some Republicans on Capitol Hill are joining with Democrats to push back against Donald Trump’s appointment of 38-year-old Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte to the job of acting director of national intelligence. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said he had “no evidence” that Pulte was qualified. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she was perplexed by Pulte’s selection. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana cited Pulte’s “absence of apparent qualifications.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that we need professionals in national security. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton declined to vouch for Pulte’s level of experience. In making appointments to top jobs Trump emphasizes loyalty over expertise and often seems to have little interest in finding the most qualified people for particular jobs.
Trump administration makes move against scientific research
Scientists across multiple disciplines are sounding the alarm after the White House proposed taking greater control over how scientific research gets funded and allowing political appointees to decide whether to approve scientific grants. The change comes from the White House Office of Management and Budget, which is run by Russell Vought, who was an architect of Project 2025, the far-right’s plan to dismantle the federal government as it existed before Trump. The proposal would end the reliance on panels of experts in their fields judging federal funding decisions on the scientific merit of research grant proposals. The proposed rule would also ban research on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as gender, and stop federally funded international scientific collaborations.
House votes to limit Trump’s war powers
President Trump on Thursday morning took to social media to attack the four Republicans who joined with Democrats to defy him in the House vote yesterday that passed a resolution to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran, a significant rebuke to Trump and his handling of the conflict. Democrats have repeatedly forced votes to limit Trump’s war powers in both the House and the Senate – a campaign that has gradually picked up more GOP support in recent weeks. The vote was 215 to 208 with Republican Reps. Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett and Warren Davidson crossing party lines to support the resolution. Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has long criticized Trump for waging war in Iran without congressional authorization. He said the war powers vote “sends a good message that the people’s House, which represents the people, is tired of this war.”
Russia used high-speed missiles in assault on Ukraine
Analysis reveals that Russia used eight of its high-speed “Zircon” missiles in when it attacked Ukraine on Tuesday. Those missiles travel so fast they’re almost impossible to shoot down and powerful enough to take out aircraft carriers. The barrage left 23 people dead and 151 injured across the country, Ukrainian authorities said. Beyond their immediate impact, experts say such attacks are part of a broader Russian strategy to sow fear among ordinary people. Russia also is increasing the number of drones it is using against Ukraine. Earlier this year, Russia was launching roughly 5,000 Shahed attack drones each month. That increased to more than 8,000 last month, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank based in Washington, D.C.
Marines retire Harrier jets
The United States Marine Corps on Wednesday celebrated the end of service for the AV-8B Harrier II jets, the vertical takeoff and landing jet that’s been an icon of Marine aviation for 55 years. About 5,000 people at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina watched as the jets showed off the capabilities that made them famous, including the ability to hover and to take off and land vertically. That ability enabled the jets to operate from places without runways or from the decks of U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships, meaning they could stay closer to actual combat than other fighter jets. During the 1991 Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, U.S. commander Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf praised the Harrier as one of the seven most critical weapons of the campaign.
North Korea steps up nuclear program
North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un inspected a new plant that makes weapons-grade nuclear material on Wednesday and said North Korea plans to “beef up our state’s nuclear forces at an exponential rate,” according to a report from state-run media. The North Korean leader said that his country has more than doubled its capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear material in the past five years and that the new plant will help strengthen its nuclear war deterrent, according to the report from the Korean Central News Agency. U.S. President Donald Trump failed to strike a deal with North Korea to limit its nuclear weapons program. North Korea already has enough nuclear material for up to 90 warheads and is believed to have assembled around 50, according to a Congressional Research Service report from March.
Some material ™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
