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Vice President JD Vance experienced an awkward moment Friday during the Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service when an intended applause line failed to land.

Vance said, "Put violent criminals in prison as opposed to letting them out of jail," then paused for applause that barely materialized.

President Donald Trump accused New York Times reporter David Sanger of treason, following Sanger's question about the war with Iran.

During a Friday press gaggle aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed to have achieved a "total military victory," alleging the U.S. destroyed Iran's navy, air force, radar systems, and leadership across multiple command levels.

Newly unearthed 2009 court records reveal an Epstein survivor accused President Donald Trump of having "knowledge of finances and [Epstein's] sexual desire for minor girls," wrote veteran journalist Alisa Valdés-Rodríguez.

In her Substack, Valdés-Rodríguez explained that the accusation appeared in written legal responses filed in a Palm Beach County circuit court lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed abuse by Epstein between 2002 and 2005. When asked to list persons with knowledge concerning the lawsuit, the woman's attorneys listed over 50 names, with Trump ranked fifth and explicitly described as having knowledge of Epstein's financial dealings and sexual interest in minors.

CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil faced another setback covering President Donald Trump's China visit when a Taipei hotel forbade him from using his room as a broadcast studio due to his on-air commentary of Taiwan.

Dokoupil was already reporting from Taiwan after failing to secure a Chinese visa, forcing him to cover the Beijing summit from over 1,000 miles away. The hotel manager was reportedly "appalled" by Dokoupil's coverage of the China-Taiwan conflict while Trump met with President Xi Jinping, according to Status.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao reaffirmed controversial remarks he made during an October 2024 Senate debate when questioned by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan during a House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday.

Houlahan cited Cao's statement, "What we need is alpha male and alpha females who are going to rip out their guts, eat them, and ask for seconds — those are young men and women that are going to win wars."

Vanity Fair photographer Christopher Anderson discovered never-before-seen photographs of Jeffrey Epstein on an old hard drive while preparing to move to Europe, years after believing the images had been destroyed.

Anderson photographed Epstein at his New York City townhome for a story that was eventually spiked, Vanity Fair reported.

Attorney Stephen Descano pushed back Thursday against House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan's (R-OH) allegations that Fairfax County, Virginia, has a policy against prosecuting undocumented immigrants who commit crimes.

Jordan repeatedly pressed Descano about changes to his campaign website, citing a statement that his office would "take immigration consequences into account when making charging and pleading decisions."

FBI Director Kash Patel snorkeled at the USS Arizona Memorial in August without public disclosure, according to government emails obtained by the Associated Press.

The memorial, which entombs over 900 American sailors and Marines killed in the 1941 attack, is nearly entirely off-limits to the public.

Former U.S. Special Envoy Jonathan Winer warned that President Donald Trump may deploy Presidential Emergency Action Documents, or PEADs — secret directives never reviewed by Congress or courts — to interfere with the 2026 midterm elections.

PEADs were designed to bypass Congressional authorization during national emergencies, authorizing actions such as seizing private property or arresting citizens, with legal challenges arising only after implementation.

CNN commentator Ana Navarro criticized President Donald Trump for including filmmaker Brett Ratner in his official delegation to China, citing Ratner's history of sexual harassment allegations.

Ratner, who directed Melania Trump's documentary for Amazon, traveled on Air Force One as part of the U.S. delegation at taxpayer expense. Navarro noted, "But let us remember, Brett Ratner had been basically banished from Hollywood in 2017 because there were very serious sexual predatory allegations against him."

General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, faced mounting scrutiny for evasive testimony before Congress regarding Iran war strategy. The hearing questioned whether his silence reflects genuine military uncertainty or fear of contradicting President Donald Trump.

During nearly 14 hours of recent testimony, lawmakers repeatedly asked how the military allowed Iran to cut off the Strait of Hormuz oil flow and what plan exists to reopen it and end the war.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) became frustrated with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Thursday for repeatedly discussing the Biden administration's record instead of his own.

Turner noted there were 770,000 homeless people under Former President Joe Biden, but Gillibrand pressed him for results from his tenure.

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) has been absent from Congress for nearly four weeks, with no votes cast since April 17 and no public explanation for her disappearance.

The 83-year-old Democrat has not appeared in committee meeting footage for Transportation and Infrastructure or Education and Workforce since her last vote, according to The New Republic. However, her social media accounts remain active with posts using recycled photos from October events, according to Capital Hill correspondent Jamie Dupree's post on X, creating the appearance of ongoing constituent engagement.