House members returned to Washington Tuesday to begin a three-week stint at the Capitol, but confusion remains over Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's membership in the House Freedom Caucus. Members of the right-wing group have refused to comment on the matter, and Greene herself is unsure of her status. Despite the three-week session, the issue is likely to remain unresolved until the House takes a six-week break at the end of the month.
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The Justice Department has reversed its position on a lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll against former President Donald Trump, saying that Trump was not acting within the scope of his presidential duties when he allegedly defamed Carroll. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2019, accuses Trump of defaming Carroll when he denied her allegation that he raped her in the 1990s. The Department's reversal is based on a jury's determination in a separate civil lawsuit that Trump was liable for sexual abuse and defamation of Carroll. It is unclear what impact the reversal will have on the case.
Gal Luft, co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, has been indicted on charges of unregistered advocacy of Chinese causes, attempting to sell weapons on behalf of a Chinese company to foreign countries, violating Iranian sanctions, and making false statements to federal agents. Luft is a dual Israeli and American citizen and is currently a fugitive. The indictment is the latest development in an ongoing investigation into Luft's activities, and the potential implications of the case are far-reaching.
Senate Democrats have called out Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama for defending white nationalism and claiming that militant white people are simply “Americans.” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said this is “deadly serious stuff” and urged Tuberville to apologize, while Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown said his nomination to become the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff could be held up in the Senate due to the hold. Schumer said Tuberville’s comments are “deeply and terribly disturbing” and called on Republican colleagues to urge him to apologize.
Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has come under fire for his comments on white nationalism during an interview on CNN, where he suggested that white nationalists should not be barred from serving in the military. His comments have sparked outrage from many, who argue that Tuberville's comments are a form of racism and that white nationalism is inherently racist. Critics have also argued that Tuberville's comments are dangerous and could lead to further division in the country. Tuberville has yet to respond to the criticism, but his comments have been widely condemned by both Democrats and Republicans.
A federal judge has granted a delay in the trial of former President Donald Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents, pushing back the first pretrial conference from Friday to July 18. The request for the delay was filed by Trump's attorneys, while the Justice Department had suggested its own proposal for the trial to begin Dec. 11. The criminal case involves the alleged mishandling of sensitive government records by Trump and his co-defendant, and the pretrial conference will involve matters relating to the use of classified material as the case proceeds.
A grand jury has been seated in Atlanta to consider whether criminal charges are appropriate for former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies for their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. The investigation began after a recorded phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and has expanded to include an examination of a slate of Republican fake electors, phone calls by Trump and others to Georgia. The grand jury is expected to consider a range of potential charges, including election fraud, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
NATO leaders opened their summit on Tuesday with a show of unity against Russian aggression in Ukraine, leading to the agreement of Sweden joining the alliance. This is seen as a signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that his unprovoked war has backfired, uniting the West against him. The summit will focus on the threat Russia poses to eastern Europe, and the addition of Sweden to the alliance will strengthen NATO's presence in Northern Europe.