Trump names Jeanine Pirro of Fox News as interim US attorney of DC after failed Ed Martin nomination



President Donald Trump named Jeanine Pirro, a former prosecutor and current Fox News host, as the interim attorney general of Washington, D.C., after failing to nominate Ed Martin.

Pirro has been a stalwart Trump supporter and a host on "The Five" on Fox News. She previously worked as the Republican district attorney of Westchester County, N.Y.

'During her time in office, Jeanine was a powerful crusader for victims of crime.'

The president announced the appointment via social media on Thursday.

"I am pleased to announce that Judge Jeanine Pirro will be appointed interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia," he wrote on Truth Social.

"Jeanine was Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County, New York, and then went on to serve as County Judge, and District Attorney, where she was the first woman ever to be elected to those positions," he added. "During her time in office, Jeanine was a powerful crusader for victims of crime."

The 73-year-old has been a friend to Trump for decades.

The president had capitulated to opposition in the U.S. Senate against the nomination of Martin, especially to that from Republican Sen.Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

"Most of my concerns related to January 6," said Tillis to reporters. "Where we probably have a difference is I think anybody that breached the perimeter should have been in prison for some period of time. Whether it's 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on January 6."

The president said in a separate post that Martin would be moved to the Department of Justice as part of three groups meant to investigate the weaponization of the government under the Biden administration.

"Jeanine is incredibly well qualified for this position, and is considered one of the Top District Attorneys in the History of the State of New York. She is in a class by herself. Congratulations Jeanine!" concluded the president on Thursday.

Pirro was condemned by both the left and the right in 2019 after she ridiculed Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for wearing a hijab, which she said was against the principles of the U.S. She was suspended from appearing on Fox News for two weeks following that incident.

"We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro's comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar. They do not reflect those of the network, and we have addressed the matter with her directly," read a statement from Fox at the time.

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Trump's nomination of Casey Means for surgeon general prompts mixed reactions, heated debate



President Donald Trump pulled his support for Janette Nesheiwat to become surgeon general days after the publication of an article accusing the former Fox News medical contributor of "falsely represent[ing] and obfuscat[ing] facts about her medical education, board certifications, and military service" — an article that activist Laura Loomer greatly amplified.

On Wednesday, the president announced that he was instead nominating Dr. Casey Means, a tech entrepreneur and Stanford-educated doctor who has long criticized the exploitative nature of the health care system.

"Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans."

Trump added, "Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History."

Trump's decision was met with mixed responses from some of his allies and supporters.

While many in Trump's broader coalition celebrated the president's second pick, underscoring that Means was "an upgrade" from Nesheiwat, others cast doubt on her qualifications and past remarks.

Against

"It's very strange," wrote Nicole Shanahan, the host of Blaze Media's "Back to the People" podcast and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate in his 2024 presidential campaign.

"Doesn't make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be)," continued Shanahan. "I don't know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on."

In January, Shanahan threatened to primary senators if they tried to torpedo Kennedy's nomination, telling Georgia Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff specifically that she was watching their votes and would make it her "personal mission" that they lose their seats if they voted "against the future health of America's children."

Shanahan, who did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for clarification, suggested further in her Wednesday post that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to be "reporting to someone regularly who is controlling his decisions (and it isn't President Trump)."

Shanahan, a big proponent of the Make America Healthy Again movement, suggested further that "there is something very artificial and aggressive" about Means and her brother Calley Means, a White House health adviser and former food industry lobbyist — "almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets."

Blaze News reached out to a spokeswoman for Means but did not receive a response by deadline. Politico was informed by an HHS spokesman that the agency would respond to requests for comment on Casey Means' behalf and linked to Kennedy's Thursday tweet, discussed later in this article.

'She talks to trees and doesn't even have an active medical license.'

Loomer appeared more critical of Trump's second pick than she was of his first, firing off a barrage of denigrating posts aimed at Means, writing, "This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration."

In addition to complaining that Means "doesn't have a surgical residency, and isn't a surgeon" — Politico indicated Means was trained at Stanford Medical School as a head and neck surgeon but dropped out of her surgical residency in the fifth year — Loomer seized upon one of Means' newsletters as evidence of the doctor's supposed engagement in "Witch Craft."

The basis for Loomer's allegation of sorcery was a newsletter wherein Means allegedly claimed she prayed to a photo of her ancestors at a meditation shrine in her house; "worked with a spiritual medium who helped [her] try to connect with [her] spirit guides"; "did full moon ceremonies with grounded, powerful women"; spoke to trees; and "did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides."

"So basically the new Surgeon General is a total crack pot, a shroom consumer and she talks to trees and doesn't even have an active medical license," wrote Loomer, who bragged earlier about initiating the "MAHA breakup." "Another failure by the 'geniuses' who work for President Trump on his non existent vetting team."

For

Kennedy thanked Trump on Thursday for nominating Means, noting that the "Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine. Casey Means was born to hold this job."

In a subsequent tweet, the HHS secretary characterized the attacks on Means as "absurd," suggesting they "reveal just how far off course our healthcare conversations have veered, and how badly entrenched interests — including Big Food and its industry-funded social media gurus — are terrified of change."

'They understand the sacrifice of what she gave up to be allegiant to the truth.'

In addition to highlighting her academic achievements in the field of medicine and noting she "was a top performer in surgical residency," Kennedy underscored that the "attacks that Casey is unqualified because she left the medical system completely miss the point of what we are trying to accomplish with MAHA."

Whereas some critics suggested Means' departure from the traditional medical system was disqualifying, the health secretary — who was himself an outsider where the medical establishment is concerned — said that made her the "perfect choice."

"I have little doubt that these companies and their conflicted media outlets will continue to pay bloggers and other social media influencers to weaponize innuendo to slander and vilify Casey, the same way they try to defame me and President Trump," added Kennedy.

Prior to Kennedy mounting his defense of Means, BlazeTV's Liz Wheeler addressed the attacks on the doctor, then gave a rebuttal.

Without naming her outright, Wheeler hit back against two of Loomer's top grievances — the status of Means' medical license and her father's authorship of a book premised on gender ideology.

"The inactive medical license is not a big deal," wrote Wheeler. "It's pretty common for MAHA providers to let their medical license lapse anyway, because when you advise things that aren't within 'standards of care' you can be liable legally."

Wheeler suggested that the book written by Means' father, which deals with a kid's so-called "gender identity," was irrelevant, first, because Dr. Means "had nothing to do with the writing of the book," second, because she has criticized transgenderism in the past, and third, because of the work's limited impact.

After rebuffing Loomer's top complaints, Wheeler emphasized that Means is an excellent communicator who has successfully "opened more people's eyes" to the role that "Big Food & Big Pharma" have had in driving America's chronic health epidemic — a doctor whose story "resonates with people because they understand the sacrifice of what she gave up to be allegiant to the truth."

Wheeler thanked Trump for appointing Means, stressing that his appointment of disruptors "is what we voted for!"

Donald Trump Jr., Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, U.S. Commissioner of Food and Drugs Martin Makary, and others in the MAGA ecosystem have similarly expressed their delight with Trump's second pick.

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Cardinals choose pope from America for the first time in history



A historic moment was made even more so when the new pope was revealed to be from the U.S. for the first time in the millennial history of the Catholic church.

U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen by the conclave of cardinals on Thursday and appeared to the faithful from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. He chose the name Leo and became Pope Leo XIV.

His first words were, 'Peace be with you all.'

Leo is 69 years old and was born in Chicago, Illinois. He spent much of his career ministering in Peru. He was ordained at age 27 and is an alumnus of Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

His first words were, "Peace be with you all."

He spoke in Italian and then switched to Spanish during his first address in Rome to tens of thousands of the faithful. He is a member of the Order of St. Augustine, a church father from the fourth century.

The 133 cardinals met at Vatican City after mourning the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88 years in April.

President Donald Trump responded positively to the announcement.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope," he said on social media. "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

It is estimated that 1.4 billion people adhere to the Catholic faith. About 20% of Americans identify as Catholic.

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Trump nominates health influencer Casey Means for surgeon general after pulling nomination of Janette Nesheiwat



President Donald Trump pulled his nomination of a former Fox News contributor for surgeon general and instead nominated Casey Means, a health influencer allied with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The former nominee, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, was dropped after it was revealed that she had not graduated from the University of Arkansas as she had claimed, but instead graduated from a medical school in the Caribbean. She had worked as a medical contributor for Fox.

'Casey has impeccable "MAHA" credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'

Trump announced the second nomination in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.

"I am pleased to announce that Dr. Casey Means, will be nominated as our next Surgeon General of the United States of America," he wrote. "Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans."

He praised her academic achievements and life's work before adding that she "has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History."

Means, a graduate of Stanford University, has been a vocal critic of ultra-processed foods and chemicals in American foods. In 2024, she appeared on Joe Rogan's wildly popular podcast and explained how one chemical could be contributing to early-onset puberty.

"We are living in this wildly estrogenic environment that is created by humans," said Means, who pinned part of the blame on atrazine, a pesticide banned in Europe but allowed in the U.S.

"We buy it from other countries," she added. "So China and Germany and other countries are selling us a chemical of which 70 million pounds are spread on our food — invisible and tasteless, which up-regulates aromatase and converts testosterone to estrogen."

In the announcement Wednesday, Trump went on to say that Kennedy would be working with Nesheiwat in another capacity at HHS.

Nesheiwat was also criticized for calling the COVID vaccine a "gift from God."

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Trump's tariffs unleash chaos in China with workers' revolt over unpaid wages, layoffs: Report



President Donald Trump's tariffs have reportedly unleashed chaos in China, with workers protesting over unpaid wages and layoffs.

A Radio Free Asia report claims that workers' protests are spreading across China, prompted by Trump's 145% tariff on the nation's imports. It states that hundreds of employees have taken to the streets to demand back pay and challenge layoffs following the abrupt shutdown of some Chinese factories.

'Their economy is collapsing.'

Workers from one electronic factory reportedly contend that the company has not paid their wages since the beginning of 2025 and that they have not received social security benefits since June 2023.

Those previously employed at other Chinese factories have reported similar issues regarding abrupt layoffs, as well as unpaid wages and benefits.

Shan Hui, chief China economist at Goldman Sachs, estimated that 16 million jobs are involved in producing goods sold in the U.S.

"Prices will need to fall for domestic and other foreign buyers to help absorb the excess supply left behind by U.S. importers," Shan stated.

Before Trump's tariffs took effect, China saw strong economic gains in the first few months of the year.

Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics, stated, "The national economy had a steady and good start, continuing the upward trend."

"However, we must also see that the current external environment is becoming more complex and severe, and the effective domestic demand growth momentum is insufficient," Sheng added.

Goldman Sachs predicted that Trump's tariffs would "significantly weigh" on China's economy.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) recently praised Trump for his actions against China to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.

Mullin told Fox News this week, "President Trump is the first president that we've had that actually has a backbone strong enough to stand up and say we've got to right this wrong, start manufacturing goods here."

"China has got rich off our country," he continued. "Forty percent of all their goods they manufacture are sold back here in the United States. And they rip us off all the time."

In an NBC News interview released over the weekend, Trump confirmed his plans to keep the steep tariffs against China in place — for now.

When asked whether he would drop the tariffs, Trump responded, "Why would I do that?"

"Would you lower them?" he was asked.

"At some point, I'm going to lower them because otherwise, you could never do business with them — and they want to do business very much," Trump said. "Their economy is really doing badly. Their economy is collapsing."

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Trump's tariff blitz targets foreign films to save Hollywood's struggling movie industry



President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States is moving to impose a hefty tariff on foreign flicks to save the nation's struggling film industry.

Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that he had authorized the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative "to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands."

'The key concern, of course, will be how this might affect U.S. movie sales around the world.'

"The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated," Trump wrote. "This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat."

He argued that the foreign films pushed "propaganda."

"WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!" Trump declared.

The president told reporters that "Hollywood is being destroyed." He, in part, blamed "grossly incompetent" California Governor Gavin Newsom (D).

"Other nations have been stealing the moviemaking capabilities from the United States," he stated. "If they're not willing to make a movie inside the United States, then we should have a tariff on movies that come in."

In response to Trump's tariff announcement, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick confirmed that the administration is "on it."

In January, Trump named actors Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, and Jon Voight Hollywood's "special ambassadors," tasked with bringing filmmaking back to the U.S.

"They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK — BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE! These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!" Trump stated.

At the time of Trump's announcement, Gibson told Variety, "I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised. Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can."

A Friday report from Deadline stated that Voight has been meeting with union representatives and studio executives to better understand Hollywood's challenges.

In April, Voight's manager, Steven Paul, told NBC News that Voight planned to soon present Trump with a list of ideas to revive the nation's movie industry. Those proposals reportedly include incentives for infrastructure investments, job training, and tax code alterations.

According to Politico, state Sen. Ben Allen (D) and "a person close to the White House" have attributed the foreign film tariffs to Voight.

Allen told the news outlet, "To be honest, at first blush I generally see this as a positive development. Unlike a lot of the other items on Trump's tariffs list, we know that TV and movies can be made 100% in the USA right now and at a very high caliber."

"The key concern, of course, will be how this might affect U.S. movie sales around the world," he added.

A rep for Voight did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Rolling Stone.

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Trump orders restoration of Alcatraz prison to lock up 'dregs of society'



President Donald Trump wants to restore an iconic maximum-security prison for his proposed golden age — an institution in the San Francisco Bay he regards as a "symbol of law and order."

Trump announced Sunday evening that he would direct the Bureau of Prisons, along with the FBI and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, to "reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders."

"For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That's the way it’s supposed to be."

"No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets," added the president.

Although first the home of an Army fort — boasting 11 cannons in 1854 and 100 more by the following decade — Alcatraz Island was recognized early on as an ideal place to lock up unsavory characters. It was surrounded by cold water and swift currents and out of earshot of polite society.

Alcatraz's days as a prison island effectively began in December 1859 with the arrival of the first permanent garrison. The National Park Service indicated that 11 soldiers were initially imprisoned in the basement of the fortified gateway blocking the entrance road. This basement and other structures were soon filled to capacity, warranting the construction of additional prison facilities.

In the decades following the 22-acre island's 1861 designation as the military prison for the U.S. Army's Department of the Pacific, Alcatraz's central purpose ceased to be defending America against foreign hostiles and instead became locking up its native threats.

'We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job.'

Alcatraz was transferred from the military to the Bureau of Prisons in the early 1930s. Over the next three decades, it saw numerous big-name felons idle in its dark cells, including Al Capone, George "Machine Gun Kelly" Barnes, Robert Stroud, and the first "Public Enemy #1," Alvin Karpis.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Alcatraz never reached its capacity of 336 inmates.

On account of its relatively high operating costs — the daily per capita cost of the prison in 1959 was $10.10, compared with $3.00 at United States Penitentiary Atlanta — and in the wake of numerous high-profile escapes and escape attempts, USP Alcatraz was closed on March 21, 1963.

In 1973, the island was opened to the public and has been a tourist trap since, welcoming over 1.5 million visitors a year.

"We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally," wrote Trump. "The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE."

A Bureau of Prisons spokesman said in a statement to the Associated Press that the agency will "comply with all presidential orders."

Trump has been trying in recent months to offshore criminals, both foreign and domestic.

In addition to sending suspected terrorists to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, the Trump administration has sent suspected Tren de Aragua terrorists to Guantanamo Bay.

Shortly after taking office, the president directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to accommodate roughly 30,000 inmates "for high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States, and to address attendant immigration enforcement needs identified by the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security."

Federal judges have so far hindered these efforts, ruling that the administration must grant deportees due process. Restoring the prison on Alcatraz might be one way to get criminal noncitizens offshore without having to deal with activist district court judges.

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Emmy nomination for Outstanding Edited Interview goes to '60 Minutes' for Kamala episode — yes, you read that right



The controversial "60 Minutes" episode featuring then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris has now been officially nominated for an Emmy — and not for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

On Thursday, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 2025 News and Docs Emmys. Among the nominees for Outstanding Edited Interview is "The Democratic Ticket," the interview between "60 Minutes" correspondent Bill Whitaker and Harris.

'60 Minutes perpetrated a Giant FRAUD against the American People.'

While "60 Minutes" interviews of major presidential candidates at the peak of election season are nothing new, this interview drew significant criticism after the episode that ultimately aired last October differed notably from a preview of it.

In a preview promoted by CBS News, Harris gave one of her infamous word-salad responses to a question about Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In his question, Whitaker implied that Netanyahu was not "listening" to the Biden-Harris administration.

"Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region," Harris replied in the preview.

However, when the episode aired, Harris gave a less scattered, slightly more germane reply. "We're not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end," she said.

Then-candidate Donald Trump immediately cried foul, claiming that the network had "sliced and diced ('cut and pasted') Lyin' Kamala's answers to questions." He later went so far as to argue that the change amounted to "election interference" and filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News for "doctoring" the interview.

The network eventually released the unedited video footage, as well as a full transcript of the interview, revealing that both clips came in response to the question.

Trump spoke out about the discrepancy as recently as this week, claiming in a Truth Social post that the final answer that aired "was not good" but at least did not "show Gross Incompetence" like the preview answer did.

"In other words, 60 Minutes perpetrated a Giant FRAUD against the American People, the Federal Elections Commission, and the Federal Communications System," Trump railed on Wednesday.

Late last month, "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens announced his resignation, citing an inability "to make independent decisions based on what was right" for the show's audience. Many have speculated that pressure at the network stemmed from Trump's lawsuit, which could be on the verge of a settlement now that both sides have agreed to mediation.

Owens and others at CBS News reportedly strongly oppose settling the lawsuit.

The other nominees for Outstanding Edited Interview are Hoda Kotb's interview of Celine Dion on NBC News, a CBS interview with SCOTUS Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a "20/20" interview with Brittney Griner, and yet another "60 Minutes" interview, this time with Pope Francis.

In response to the nomination of the Harris interview, White House communications director Steven Cheung quipped, "Of course it’s nominated for best editing, because it takes some serious talent to edit Kamala’s answer into something that’s coherent and understandable, which in the end they still failed to do."

CBS News did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

The news Emmy award ceremony is scheduled to air on June 25.

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Trump reassigns Mike Waltz to a new post following Signal scandal



President Donald Trump announced that he will be nominating Mike Waltz, who currently serves as his national security adviser, to instead be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as the interim national security adviser until the president appoints a new candidate to permanently fill the role. The announcement to reassign Waltz came just hours after multiple reports began to surface about his rumored firing from the administration for his role in the now infamous Signal chat leaks.

Given his responsibility in 'SignalGate,' we can expect to see senators apply significant pressure on the nominee during his confirmation hearing.

"I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations," Trump said in a Truth Social post Thursday. "From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation's interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role."

"In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department," Trump added. "Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN."

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York was originally set to serve as U.N. ambassador and even began to go through the Senate confirmation process. Her nomination was eventually rescinded after Speaker Mike Johnson brought up the House Republican's historically narrow majority.

Another vacancy in the House GOP would shrink their majority even further, making it nearly impossible to pass meaningful legislation, especially during the ongoing reconciliation fight.

Notably, Waltz was nominated to a role requiring Senate confirmation. Given his responsibility in "SignalGate," we can expect to see senators apply significant pressure on the nominee during his confirmation hearing.

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CBS faces bad news from FCC chair, resentment from bitter '60 Minutes' host Scott Pelley



The Federal Communications Commission received a formal complaint on Oct. 16 from the Center for American Rights requesting an investigation into possible news distortion at CBS News. Weeks later, President Donald Trump filed a giant lawsuit against CBS, claiming $10 billion in damages and accusing the network of "partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference."

At issue: Bill Whitaker's "60 Minutes" interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris, which apparently underwent significant edits to make the Democrat appear intelligible and concise — possibly with the intention of misleading viewers ahead of the 2024 election.

Last month, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr rejected CBS' bid to dismiss the "news distortion" complaint concerning its Harris interview. On Monday, he delivered the network some more bad news, noting that the FCC is actively investigating the allegation of "news distortion" and that "all options remain on the table," reported Reuters.

'We're just going to apply the law.'

Some "options" could prove a real headache for CBS owner Paramount Global, which is seeking regulatory approval for its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. The FCC could, for instance, block the merger.

"We're simply focused on the record that's before us," said Carr, who reopened the probe in January. "We're just going to apply the law and the facts."

Reuters indicated that CBS did not immediately provide comment.

While Paramount faces scrutiny from without, it also faces resentment from within.

"60 Minutes" talking head Scott Pelley opined Sunday on the April 20 resignation of the show's executive producer, Bill Owens, and complained on air about changes at Paramount amid its talks with Trump to settle the lawsuit and attempts to complete the SkyDance merger.

"It was hard on [Owens] and it was hard on us," said Pelley. "But he did it for us — and you."

'No one here is happy.'

Blaze News previously reported that Owens noted in a memo to staff that he could no longer run the show in an "independent" fashion.

"Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for '60 Minutes,' right for the audience," wrote Owens.

Pelley, continuing with his brief hagiography of Owens, said, "Stories we've pursued for 57 years are often controversial: lately, the Israel-Gaza war and the Trump administration. Bill made sure they were accurate and fair. He was tough that way."

"But our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways," said Pelley. "None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires."

The talking head noted that "no one here is happy" about Owen's departure, claiming that his departure demonstrated "he was the right person to lead '60 Minutes' all along."

'They should lose their license!'

The New York Times reported that representatives for Paramount and President Trump are engaged in settlement talks and that mediation is expected to kick off this week.

Trump noted in an April 13 post on Truth Social, "I am so honored to be suing 60 Minutes, CBS Fake News, and Paramount, over their fraudulent, beyond recognition, reporting. They did everything possible to illegally elect Kamala, including completely and corruptly changing major answers to Interview questions, but it just didn't work for them."

"They are not a 'News Show,' but a dishonest Political Operative simply disguised as 'News,' and must be responsible for what they have done, and are doing," continued the president. "They should lose their license! Hopefully, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as headed by its Highly Respected Chairman, Brendan Carr, will impose the maximum fines and punishment, which is substantial, for their unlawful and illegal behavior."

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