“Outspoken progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett [D-TX] dropped her bid Tuesday to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee after it became clear she lacked the votes. ‘It was clear by the numbers that my style of leadership is not exactly what they were looking for, and so I didn’t think that it was fair for me to then push forward and try to rebuke that,’ the lefty pol told reporters. Democrats later anointed Rep. Robert Garcia [D-CA] to become their ranking member on the Oversight panel, replacing late Rep. Gerry Connolly [D-VA] who died last month. Crockett, who has a penchant for going viral during committee hearings with her incendiary rhetoric, had touted her ability to go on the offense during the internal party battle to succeed Connolly.” [editor’s note: Another bullet dodged – SAT] [additional editor’s note: Top minority member on a US House committee is hardly a “bullet;” maybe a foam dart – TLK] (06/24/25)
“The Federal Reserve will continue to wait and see how the economy evolves before deciding whether to reduce its key interest rate, Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday, a stance directly at odds with President Donald Trump’s calls for immediate cuts. ‘For the time being, we are well positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance,’ Powell said in testimony Tuesday before the House Financial Services Committee. … Trump lashed out again early Tuesday, posting on his social media site: ‘I hope Congress really works this very dumb, hardheaded person, over. We will be paying for his incompetence for many years to come.'” (06/24/25)
“‘Another appalling attack’ on a hospital in Sudan has seen more than 40 people killed, many of them children and medics, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. ‘We cannot say this louder,’ wrote Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X on Tuesday, ‘attacks on health must stop everywhere!’ Al-Mujlad Hospital was struck on Saturday, and is located in West Kordofan state, close to one of the frontlines where Sudan’s warring parties are fighting in the conflict that is now in its third year. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) blames its opponents the Sudanese army for attacking the hospital, as do two prominent civil society groups, but the army itself has yet to comment on the allegation. Since Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023, the scale of suffering is so vast that the UN has labelled it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” (06/24/25)
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court delivered a victory for environmentalists on Tuesday in the fight over ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS, issuing a ruling that advocates said will hold polluters accountable. The liberal-controlled court ruled that state regulators can force landowners to clean up emerging pollutants such as PFAS before they are officially designated as hazardous substances. The 5-2 ruling is a defeat for the state’s powerful group representing businesses and manufacturers, which had argued the state couldn’t enforce regulations on substances before they were officially designated as hazardous. It is the latest development in a yearslong battle in Wisconsin and nationally involving regulators, environmentalists, politicians and businesses over how to deal with PFAS contamination.” (06/24/25)
“Protesters in Venice rallying against the impending nuptials of billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez have claimed victory after their threats of disruption reportedly prompted a change of wedding venues. The group, No Space for Bezos, had called for a blockade on canals around the 14th-century Grande Scuola Misericordia in central Venice, which is thought to be where the couple wanted to hold a massive party on June 28, the day after exchanging vows. It claims the party will now move to the less picturesque venue of a ‘tese,’ or shipyard, in a renovated maritime area known as the Arsenale on the outer edge of Venice. This, it said, was victory over Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro’s condemnation of the protests. … Few details of the Bezos and Sanchez wedding have been publicly confirmed, with dates, venues and guest lists remaining closely guarded secrets.” (06/24/25)
“A court in Japan has sentenced a US marine to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Okinawa last year. Lance Cpl Jamel Clayton, 22, attacked the woman in her 20s, choking her from behind and attempting sexual intercourse, the court ruled. The case is one of a string involving US servicemen based in the Okinawa archipelago, where more than half of the 54,000 US soldiers serving in Japan are based. Previous crimes committed by American personnel have sparked anger and protests by locals in Okinawa, the largest of which took place 30 years ago, when tens of thousands took to the street following the rape of a 12-year-old girl.” (06/24/25)
“A German court on Tuesday lifted a ban imposed by the government last year on a far-right magazine, ruling that the case against it didn’t clear the high bar required to outlaw its publisher. Germany’s previous government banned Compact magazine and the company that publishes it, Compact-Magazin GmbH, in July. … The court said in a statement that Germany’s constitution guarantees freedom of the press and opinion ‘even for the enemies of freedom’ and that, on grounds of proportionality, a ban could only be justified if the publisher’s anti-constitutional activities were proven to be ‘formative’ for the group. It said a review of the evidence showed that the material in question didn’t reach that threshold.” (06/24/25)
“Japan’s army announced Tuesday that it conducted a missile test for the first time on Japanese territory. The test-firing of the Type-88 surface-to-ship short range missile was conducted Tuesday at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido. The exercise by the Ground Self-Defense Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade was joined by about 300 soldiers who fired at an unmanned boat about 40 kilometers (24 miles) off the southern coast of Hokkaido, officials said. Officials were still examining the results of the test, they said.” (06/24/25)
“The Trump administration on Tuesday postponed classified briefings for Senate and House members as lawmakers look for more answers about President Donald Trump’s directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement. The Senate briefing has been rescheduled for Thursday so that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio can attend, according to multiple people with knowledge of the scheduling change who would only discuss it on the condition of anonymity. House Speaker Mike Johnson [R-LA] said on social media that the House briefing will now be held on Friday, ‘details to follow.'” (06/24/25)
“The House of Representatives voted along bipartisan lines to quash a lone progressive lawmaker’s bid to impeach President Donald Trump Tuesday afternoon. Lawmakers agreed to table the measure in a 344–79 vote. A vote to table is a procedural mechanism allowing House members to vote against consideration of a bill without having to vote on the bill itself. The resolution was offered by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who was infamously ejected from Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress earlier this year for repeatedly interrupting the president. A majority of House Democrats joined Republican lawmakers to kill Green’s resolution, a sign of how politically caustic the effort appears to be.” (06/24/25)
