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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.

A tense exchange was captured on a hot microphone Thursday as Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping's summit began inside the Great Hall of the People.

The Daily Beast reported, as officials entered for high-stakes bilateral talks, a PBS News press pool camera caught an unnamed person with an American accent verbally assaulting the camera operator, cursing and ordering them to leave, adding, "No. Move. Got to move."

President Donald Trump's comments on the White House's South Lawn caused concerns among Republicans — who were already worried about the GOP's outcome during the 2026 midterm elections.

Speaking with reporters before leaving to China, Trump was asked if economic strain motivated his push to end the Iran war, he responded: "Not even a little bit. I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody."

First Lady Melania Trump did not accompany President Donald Trump to Beijing for his high-stakes three-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump traveled with his cabinet, son Eric, daughter-in-law Lara, and 16 corporate CEOs, reports The Daily Beast.

CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil will broadcast from Taiwan instead of China this week after the network failed to secure his Chinese visa in time.

The logistical failure represents another public embarrassment for CBS News, which has seen ratings decline since MAGA-friendly Bari Weiss took over as editor-in-chief, reports Semafor.

President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but was notably not greeted by Jinping at the airport — a detail critics characterized as a diplomatic snub.

Instead of a presidential welcome, Trump was met by U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue, Jinping's vice president Han Zheng, China's Ambassador to Washington Xie Feng, and Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu.

Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka disclosed that President Donald Trump has left orders for Vice President JD Vance in a letter stored in the Resolute Desk should something happen to Trump during his China visit.

During a Pod Force One podcast interview, host Miranda Devine asked Gorka about security concerns, including the possibility of China poisoning Trump or causing him to fall ill. Gorka confidently asserted that Trump is safe, arguing that world leaders seek to reconcile with him and understand the consequences of harming him.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Julie K. Brown questioned the official suicide ruling in Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 prison death, arguing the disgraced financier lacked the physical strength to break three neck bones.

On her Substack, Brown highlighted the suspicious timing surrounding the alleged suicide note discovered by cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione on July 27, four days after Epstein was found semi-conscious with marks on his neck.

The Department of Homeland Security, or DHS's, inspector general has launched an audit of a controversial $38 billion program that converted commercial warehouses into immigration detention centers under former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski.

The audit will review all warehouse purchases made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, expanding on an existing investigation into DHS contract handling and political appointees' roles, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Emilio Biosca Agüero, a pastor critical of the Trump administration deportation policies, as Bishop of Naples. The Father will oversee a conservative southwest Florida diocese.

According to Christopher Hale's Letters from Leo, Biosca Agüero has led the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in D.C. since 2019, serving a primarily Salvadoran congregation of 5,600 members. Since immigration enforcement intensified last August, over 40 parishioners have been detained or deported, with six arrested in a single stretch; including an usher, a man preparing for marriage, and a confirmation student.

Trump biographer Michael Wolff predicts President Donald Trump will likely fire Secretary of State Marco Rubio because Rubio has upstaged the President— what Wolff describes as a "fatal flaw" in Trump's administration.

During an episode of Inside Trump's Head by The Daily Beast, Wolff explained that appearing more capable than Trump constitutes grounds for termination.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) directly challenged FBI Director Kash Patel during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, citing credible reports of misconduct, including heavy alcohol use and political purges of agents involved in President Donald Trump's investigations.

Van Hollen stated, "Patel's private conduct becomes a public concern if it interferes with job performance, referencing reports of Patel being "so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home."