Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., defended Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in an exclusive interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” urging House Democrats to stick to their chamber rather than focus on the party’s Senate leadership.
“I don’t tell Ro Khanna or AOC or anybody else who you should pick as your House leader, because I got a full-time job being a senator,” Kaine said, referring to Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
The two politicians criticized Senate leadership after eight Democrats, including Kaine, sided with Republicans on a funding bill to reopen the government that did not extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.
As part of the deal, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he would hold a vote on extending the health care subsidies. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., though, has not made a similar promise.
“Frankly, I viewed the situation last weekend as we had no path, none, to a health care fix until we reopened government,” Kaine told moderator Kristen Welker. “Now we have a path, not a guarantee, but we at least have a path.”
Border Patrol operations start in Charlotte as officials urge calm
Federal agents started making arrests in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday as Border Patrol deployments began in the city, a shift the Department of Homeland Security said was intended to “ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed.”
Local officials had sought to reassure residents as the looming operations created anxiety across the region, emphasizing that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement and urging the community to remain peaceful.
In recent months, federal immigration agencies have undertaken high-profile operations in cities such as Chicago, where a judicial order cited the warrantless detention of 85% of the individuals arrested under Operation Midway Blitz and required the release of hundreds of detainees. In Portland, Oregon, reports of protest activity and federal troop deployments tied to immigration enforcement sparked legal action and scrutiny over the use of force.
‘Meet the Press’
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., one of two House lawmakers leading the push for the Trump administration to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein, said the effort is “not about Donald Trump” and called on the president to meet with survivors of Epstein’s abuse.
“What we’re asking for is justice for the survivors,” Khanna told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “So, it’s not about Donald Trump. I don’t even know how involved Trump was. There are a lot of other people who are involved who have to be held accountable.”
Khanna said many of the survivors who have spoken publicly about their experiences with Epstein will be in Washington on Tuesday and that they would ask Trump to meet with them.
The California congressman successfully partnered with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on a petition calling on the Justice Department to release any documents it has related to Epstein. Last week, the petition reached 218 signatures, which will force a vote on the measure on the House floor.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who appeared later on “Meet the Press,” called Khanna’s efforts to release the Epstein files “an attempt by the Democrats to make Trump a lame duck president.”
“I think there’s a lot more important things to talk about right now to get the country back on track,” he added.
Politics in brief
- Feud fallout: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who once was one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal supporters, said she has been getting threats following the president’s criticism of her on social media.
- Man, oh ‘manosphere’: Democratic candidates and operatives are working on how to renew the party’s appeal to young men, amid some signs of progress after a sharp wake-up call in 2024.
- Back home: Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said on social media that he is with his family and fully recovered after being hospitalized for a fall caused by a serious cardiac episode last week.
- Lawsuit threat: President Donald Trump said he will sue the BBC for billions of dollars after the British public broadcaster published a misleading edit of one of his speeches.
Taps run dry as water crisis forces Iran to consider evacuating its capital
A drastic new message adorns the walls of the Iranian capital, usually reserved for war heroes and weapons.
“There is a water shortage!” reads the government poster’s slogan, inside a water container that is nearly empty. “It’s fall and there is still no rain.”
That’s not news to Erfan Ensani, 39, who returned home from a long day working in the textile section of Tehran’s central bazaar last week to find his taps running dry.
Iran is facing its worst water crisis in decades. With no end in sight and authorities warning they may even have to evacuate the capital of 10 million people, residents like Ensani are scrambling to respond.
Jets cornerback Kris Boyd in critical condition after NYC shooting
Jets cornerback Kris Boyd is in critical condition after a shooting in New York City early Sunday morning, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.
Police responded to Manhattan restaurant and bar Sei Less at around 2:09 a.m. ET and found the 29-year-old with a gunshot wound to his abdomen, according to the New York Police Department.
A law enforcement source said Boyd was engaged in a fight when the shooting happened. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, according to police.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Jets said the team is “aware of the situation” involving Boyd “and will have no further comment at this time.”
- A heavyweight battle on ‘SNF’: The Detroit Lions head to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in what could be preview of the postseason. NBC News is covering all the action.
Notable quote
It feels like the ultimate shortcut to stardom: no late nights in smoky bars, no raw vulnerability poured into lyrics, just algorithms crunching data to mimic the twang of authenticity.
Leslie Fram, founder of a Nashville-based creative consulting group
Breaking Rust is a mysterious stranger who rode into town and topped a country music chart. But there’s a problem: He might not be real, adding to a growing list of artists either found to be or suspected to be fueled by generative AI.
In case you missed it
- Heavy rain flooded camps in Gaza, worsening conditions for displaced Palestinians.
- A Mega Millions player in Georgia won the $980 million jackpot, overcoming abysmal odds to win the huge prize.
- Alice Wong, a disability rights activist and author whose independence and writing inspired others, died at 51.
- A recall of ByHeart infant formula over a botulism outbreak is putting parents on edge.
- The Screen Actors Guild Awards will be changing its name to the Actor Awards in 2026.
- Pope Leo XIV welcomed Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig and dozens of other Hollywood luminaries to a special Vatican audience.
- Todd Snider, a singer whose cosmic-stoner songwriting made him a beloved figure in American roots music, died at 59.