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GPS data tracks boat Mississippi teen Nolan Wells was on before he went missing

2026-07-15T17:31:00-0400 / CBS News

By Jared Eggleston,
Updated on: July 15, 2026 / 7:08 PM EDT / CBS News

GPS data from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, obtained by CBS News, tracks the movements of the boat that carried Nolan Wells to Horn Island on July 4. Wells was found dead after going missing following an outing on the island.

The vessel left a dock at approximately 9:56 a.m. that morning and arrived at Horn Island at 11:14 a.m. CBS News has previously reported that Wells was not on the boat when it departed the island.

According to the GPS data, the boat left Horn Island at 4:31 p.m. and returned to its original departure dock. It then traveled into Fort Bayou around 5:52 p.m. before returning to the dock at 6:06 p.m.

Later that evening, the boat went to the Fort Bayou boat launch at 7:19 p.m., according to the MSDMR report. From there, it traveled over land — presumably towed by a vehicle — to the Biloxi, Mississippi, residence of the boat’s owners.

The MSDMR report indicates that the boat’s owner, his mother and one other individual who was reportedly with Wells on the day of the incident have cooperated with the investigation.

The department’s report ends on July 5, following notification that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office would take over as the lead investigative agency.

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This undated photo provided by the family in July 2026 shows Nolan Xavier Wells with his mother, Christine Wonsley. Family photo via AP

Wells, 18, was last seen on July 4 on Horn Island, where he had taken a boat trip with friends to celebrate the holiday, officials said. Wells traveled to the island with his friends but did not return to the mainland with them that afternoon, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said.

He was last seen on the island at 3 p.m., according to attorney Ben Crump’s office. His mother reported him missing later that night and a search began.

His body was discovered July 6 off the coast of the island, which is about 10 miles south of the Mississippi mainland, following a search that involved the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the National Park Service.

Dental records confirmed the body was Wells, Jackson County coroner Bruce Lynd told CBS News. An autopsy took place on July 7, Lynd said, but the results were not immediately made public. Wells’ body was flown to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy, according to Crump.

Wells’ parents have said they don’t believe their son would’ve stayed behind on the island by choice when his friends left by boat.

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Christine and Elmore Wonsley, the parents of Nolan Wells, spoke to “CBS Mornings” on Friday, July 10, 2026. CBS News

“No, he wouldn’t. Nolan always stays with the group,” Elmore Wonsley, Nolan’s father, told “CBS Mornings” last week. “If you be with me, you come back with me. So that I don’t understand, and with me being a parent, if I was in that situation, I would have told them, ‘You’re going to get back on this boat with me because I don’t want to answer to your parents if something happens to you.’”

When directly asked if he believed Nolan was left behind on the island, his father responded, “Yes. I don’t believe he decided to stay on the island by himself. It just doesn’t — that’s not his character.”

Wells went to Ocean Springs High School and was a rising sophomore on Southwest Mississippi Community College’s football team. Crump said Wells was a good swimmer.

Mark Osborne contributed to this report.

US Senate undecided on bill to make daylight saving time permanent

2026-07-15 20:22:24 UTC / Reuters

By David Shepardson and David Morgan

July 15, 2026 8:22 PM UTC Updated 3 hours ago

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WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate is reviewing a bill passed by the House to make daylight saving time permanent but it is unclear if it ​has enough support to become law, the top Senate Republican said Wednesday.

Senate Majority ‌Leader John Thune said it was not clear whether the daylight saving bill could garner the 60 votes needed for passage in the chamber.

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“We’re looking at it. You know the House had a big vote. There’s ​a lot of interest in it from members on our side over here. Some ​for, some against,” the South Dakota Republican told reporters. Asked whether he ⁠could support the legislation, Thune replied: “I’m from a northern clime. I voted against it in ​committee.”

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The House of Representatives passed the measure in a 308-117 vote to end the twice-yearly practice of ​changing clocks observed across most of the nation since the 1960s.

If enacted, clocks would no longer return to standard time in November, although states could opt out of year-round daylight saving time if they do not ​currently observe it or voted to adopt permanent standard time before the law was changed.

Supporters ​say changing the clocks disrupts sleep, increases workplace injuries and contributes to more road accidents. They argue keeping ‌clocks ⁠an hour ahead year-round would provide more evening daylight and boost economic activity during the winter months.

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Critics note the change would mean the sun rises an hour later on winter mornings, leaving more children traveling to school and commuters, construction workers, farmers and others heading to work before ​daylight. In some places ​the sun would ⁠not rise until nearly 9 a.m. or later at the height of winter.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the twice-yearly ​clock changes and strongly supports the measure.

The bill faces opposition from ​Senator Tom Cotton, ⁠an Arkansas Republican, and others. Cotton has argued that permanent daylight saving time would result in very late winter sunrises and force children in many parts of the country to go to ⁠school in ​darkness.

The U.S. used year-round daylight saving time during World ​War Two and enacted it again in 1974 to reduce energy use. But it proved deeply unpopular and Congress repealed ​it later that year.

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Reporting by David Shepardson, Katharine Jackson; editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell

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Harris calls for ICE probe after Maine shooting amid renewed ‘border czar’ criticism

July 15, 2026 4:36pm EDT / Fox News

Joan Sebastian Guerrero was shot in Biddeford, Maine, after allegedly fleeing ICE agents in a vehicle

By Elaine Mallon

Houston immigration attorney Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, who represents two of the three passengers who were in a van when Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot by ICE, accuses the agency of racial profiling. (Credit: KRIV)

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris blasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tuesday after agents fatally shot a Colombian national during a Maine operation, sparking criticism from opponents who contrasted her response with her silence on high-profile murders committed by illegal immigrants.

Harris called for “an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation” into the death of 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero.

Guerrero was shot Monday after attempting to flee ICE officers in a vehicle during an operation targeting an illegal immigrant with a final order of removal, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

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“Joan Sebastian Guerrero should still be alive,” Harris wrote Tuesday on X. “This is the second time in a week that ICE agents have killed someone who — by their own admission — was not the subject of their operation. Now Sebastian is dead, his killing witnessed by his three-year-old daughter wearing her Bluey pajamas.

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris blasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement after agents fatally shot a Colombian national who was legally living in the United States during a Maine operation.(Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

MAINE ICE SHOOTING VICTIM WAS NOT TARGET OF ARREST WARRANT, SEN. KING’S OFFICE SAYS AFTER EARLIER DHS ACCOUNT

“This cannot be acceptable in America,” Harris continued. “Anyone responsible for wrongdoing must be held accountable.”

Harris’ comments quickly sparked criticism online, with many users pointing to her role overseeing the Biden administration’s efforts to address the root causes of migration from Central America, a position Republicans frequently referred to as the administration’s “border czar.”

During the Biden administration, federal officials estimated that roughly 2 million known “gotaways” entered the U.S. after crossing the border illegally and avoiding capture.

ICE officers were conducting surveillance Monday morning at the last known address of an illegal immigrant with a final order of removal in Biddeford, Maine, when Guerrero allegedly fled in a vehicle after officers attempted to make contact, according to Homeland Security.

“The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon,” the department said in a statement. “The driver of the vehicle was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. He passed away from his injuries.”

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An eyewitness told Maine’s Portland Press Herald that Guerrero appeared to drive toward federal agents before shots were fired.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation.

However, the department said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Guerrero had illegally crossed the border during the Biden administration in September 2023. It is unknown if he was awaiting asylum, but he was granted a work permit in May 2025.

“To be clear, work authorization does not confer legal status in the United States,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

ICE AGENTS INSTRUCTED TO END MOST VEHICLE STOPS IN MAJOR POLICY SHIFT

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The victim of a fatal shooting that involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is visible near the car he was driving when agents shot through the windshield in Biddeford, Maine, July 13, 2026.(Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Many commentators also argued Harris and other leading Democrats have been far less vocal in publicly mourning Americans killed by illegal immigrants than in condemning ICE enforcement actions.

Some critics cited the 2024 death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed by Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra after he illegally entered the U.S. Others referenced Maryland mother Rachel Morin, who was raped and murdered by Salvadoran illegal immigrant Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez.

“I will start giving a f— about the illegals killed by ICE when Democrats start giving a f— about Americans killed by illegals,” one X user wrote.

Unlike in the killing of Guerrero, Harris did not make a social media post paying tribute to Riley or Morin’s death. Harris did not publicly acknowledge the death of those young women at the hands of illegal immigrants until pressed by Fox News host Bret Baier in an Oct. 24, 2024, interview.

WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES

“First of all, those are tragic cases,” Harris said after Baier asked whether the Biden administration bore any responsibility for the deaths. “There’s no question about that. I can’t imagine the pain that the families of those victims have experienced for a loss that should not have occurred.”

The deaths of Riley and Morin became a flashpoint issue for Republicans during the 2024 presidential campaign and throughout the Trump administration’s push to tighten immigration enforcement.

Social media users also pointed to angel families, who are relatives of Americans killed by illegal immigrants who have become prominent advocates for stronger border security and immigration enforcement. The families frequently have appeared alongside President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers at campaign events, the White House and on Capitol Hill to highlight crimes committed by people in the country illegally.

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People demonstrate against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Biddeford, Maine, July 13, 2026, after a fatal shooting involving agency personnel.(Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Harris’ statement follows another July post she made after a separate fatal ICE shooting in Houston involving Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, whom the Department of Homeland Security also said attempted to ram federal officers with his vehicle during a traffic stop.

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“Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family called him ‘El mundo entero’ — the whole world,” Harris wrote Thursday. “Doug and my prayers are with Lorenzo’s wife, his three sons, and all those who loved and knew him. I join his son Ronaldo in calling for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Harris for comment.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

Exclusive: Congress discussing affidavits from Epstein survivors about Lesley Groff as survivors told CNN she lied

2026-07-15T20:27:08.528Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/politics/epstein-survivors-lesley-groff-congress

The House Oversight Committee has discussed with Jeffrey Epstein survivors the possibility of the women providing affidavits about longtime Epstein assistant Lesley Groff – coming on the heels of multiple survivors telling CNN that Groff had lied to the committee last month.

The ongoing deliberations between the committee and Epstein survivors were confirmed to CNN by three sources familiar with the matter and have not been previously reported. One Epstein survivor and two family members of another victim also told CNN that they were asked by the committee to comb through the transcript of Groff’s interview with the panel and alert the committee to anything that looks problematic.

“We need affidavits, sworn affidavits” House Oversight Chair James Comer told CNN’s Jake Tapper on The Lead. “We’re trying to do this just like any court in America would do.”

These developments signal that the committee is taking the accounts of Epstein survivors seriously and preparing to hold Groff accountable if she is found to have lied to Congress. While it is not clear what additional steps, if any, the committee might ultimately take related to Groff, lying to Congress is a crime. Committee investigators have also been poring over Groff’s testimony and references in the Epstein files to determine whether Groff was truthful.

Comer said that after each witness interview, his panel works with victims of Epstein’s abuse to corroborate details or point out anything that might be untrue.

“Once we question them, we are giving the victims the transcripts and letting them thoroughly go over that and say ‘do you see anything that you think is not true?’ And if they say that, then we’re going back and we’re doing research to see if they lied to Congress because if they lied to Congress that’s a felony and that’s a criminal referral to the Department of Justice. And again, that’s all a part of accountability and that’s about the only way Congress can hold anyone accountable,” he said.

CNN has reached out to Groff’s lawyer for comment. They did not respond to CNN’s previous request for comment about what survivors said about her interview with Congress.

Groff worked for Epstein for almost two decades and managed every detail of Epstein’s day-to-day schedule, making her transcribed interview session with the House Oversight Committee in June a significant part of Congress’ ongoing investigation into Epstein. She has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, and told lawmakers last month that she had been duped by a “master manipulator and deceiver.”

But the release of her interview transcript drew outrage from Epstein survivors. CNN reported on survivors taking issue with some of Groff’s key claims, including her insistence that she never met any of the girls and women whom she arranged to give massages to Epstein.

Six Epstein survivors previously told CNN they did meet Groff in person and were dismayed to learn of Groff’s denial.

Lara Blume McGee, who says she met Epstein as an aspiring model and was abused from 2001 to 2003, said she remembers meeting Groff at least twice at Epstein’s townhouse, while Lisa Phillips, who says she was in her early 20s when she first met Epstein, told CNN: “Of course I’ve met her in person.”

Groff also repeatedly told lawmakers that she never asked for or knew the ages of the girls and young women who came to see Epstein, including the fact that some of them were minors. She also said she was never aware that some were coming from local high schools.

Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda told CNN that Groff regularly asked her detailed questions about new girls that Lacerda planned to bring to Epstein, and that Groff was sensitive to Epstein’s preference for younger girls – so much so that she started asking Lacerda to tell her friends to bring their school IDs to their sessions with Epstein.

“She would ask, ‘What does the girl look like? Where is she from? How old is she?’ over the phone,” Lacerda said.

Another survivor, Sharlene Rochard, said it was not possible that Groff didn’t know her age, because she had Rochard’s passport information to plan travel. “Of course she knew how old we were because she had to look at our IDs to book our flight,” Rochard said.

One anonymous woman said she was also “100 percent” certain Groff knew that she was a minor. “I went to a private Catholic school and she would always ask me to leave school early,” she said. Epstein liked to see her in her school uniform, and that she said there were many times when Groff saw her wearing her uniform.

Survivors said Groff also was not telling the truth when she said she never directly paid the girls and women; some described receiving fresh cash in white envelopes from Groff during their years of abuse.

Lacedra, who said she was just shy of turning 14 when she first met Epstein, told CNN Wednesday that she would be glad to provide an affidavit to the oversight committee about Groff.

The committee did not comment for this story. A spokeswoman for the committee previously told CNN that the committee is “currently reviewing Ms. Groff’s transcript against the available evidence.” She added: “We welcome any additional evidence from individuals who possess information.”

皮尤调查：中国全球好感度排名超过美国

2026年7月16日 07:08 / 联合早报

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全球对中国持正面看法的人士比例高于美国，为至少2023年以来首见。 （路透社）

皮尤研究中心的一项调查显示，全球对中国持正面看法的人士比例高于美国，为至少2023年以来首见。即便在美国盟友中，舆论也出现了转变。

据彭博社报道，调查显示，随着美国形象恶化，今年调查的36个国家中，中国在大多数国家获得的好感度高于美国，这些国家包括加拿大、澳大利亚、法国和德国等美国盟友。

中国的优势在亚太和中东国家中尤为明显。仅印度、日本、菲律宾、韩国、以色列和波兰六国对美国的评价高于中国。

在20个拥有可追溯至2023年数据的国家中，近一半受访者对中国持正面看法，而对美国持正面看法的占比仅36%。

三年前，这一比例分别为中国32%、美国58%。这也标志着中国国际形象在冠病疫情期间跌至历史低点后，出现了改善。

报告指出：“去年特朗普开启第二任期后，全球对美国的看法进一步恶化，不过多数人当时对美国的评价仍高于中国。今年这种情况已不复存在。”

皮尤另一份聚焦中国的调查显示，包括部分欧洲国家在内，不少国家对中国的好感度已升至或接近纪录最高水平。

研究还显示，至少自拜登总统任期后半段以来，全球对美国领导人的信心一直在持续下降。

外交政策方面，17个中等收入国家的受访者对美国的担忧多于中国。在这些国家，更多人认为中国是“可靠伙伴”，也有更多人认为相比美国，中国对全球和平与稳定“贡献很大”或“有相当的贡献”。

美国在“尊重个人自由”这一指标上依然领先于中国，更多受访者认为美国更尊重个人自由，但两者之间的差距也在缩小。

皮尤研究中心于2月8日至5月13日对超过4.2万人进行了调查，调查期间美国对伊朗发动战争。

‘She saw dollar signs’: Former Obama counsel pressed over years-long Epstein ties

July 15, 2026 6:41pm EDT / Fox News

Democrat rep asserts Ruemmler knew Epstein ‘wasn’t a man of good character’ but was blinded by ‘dollar signs’

By Adam Pack, Fox News

Former Obama White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler faced a bipartisan grilling in the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday with members of the panel questioning her account of her years-long relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Ruemmler, who recently resigned as Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer amid scrutiny over her ties to Epstein, voluntarily appeared for a closed-door interview as part of the committee’s probe into Epstein and his longtime associate, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Lawmakers in both parties dismissed her claim that her relationship with Epstein was limited, while Democrats argued she should have been interviewed under oath.

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“She was desperately trying to distance herself from Epstein, but the reality is, we have the emails,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., a member of the oversight panel, told Fox News Digital. “It’s very clear that she had a pretty friendly relationship with him.”

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Kathryn Ruemmler, former general counsel of Goldman Sachs and former White House counsel to President Barack Obama, arrives for a closed-door House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 15, 2026.(Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

CLINTON JUDGE ORDERS DOJ TO UNSEAL THE EPSTEIN FILES IT HAS BEEN KEEPING HIDDEN

“Even when we presented her with the emails, all she could say was that she either showed poor judgment or that her jokes about his massages were in poor taste,” he said. “She also admitted that she knew about the massages. She just didn’t know that they were underage girls.”

“She knew that this wasn’t a man of good character, certainly, and someone who is a sex offender and registered as such,” he went on. “But she saw dollar signs, and she decided that she would overlook all that because he was rich and powerful.”

Wednesday’s interview came after emails released by the Justice Department showed that she met with Epstein numerous times and exchanged emails and gifts years after he was convicted of soliciting a minor in 2008.

The two first connected in 2014 while Ruemmler was a partner at the law firm Latham & Watkins and continued their relationship into 2019.

Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

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Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, and Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., speak to reporters in Washington, D.C., on Friday, June 26, 2026.(Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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CLINTON CONFIDANT WHO CALLED MAXWELL HIS ‘LOVER’ GRILLED BY CONGRESS OVER EPSTEIN TIES

Ruemmler has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has said she was unaware of any criminal conduct by Epstein during the years they were in contact.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., also called Ruemmler’s relationship with Epstein “very concerning.”

“Looking at the communication between Ruemmler and Epstein is how she tried and worked as hard as anyone — well I would say more than anyone — and tried to rehabilitate his image after he was convicted of solicitation of a minor,” he said. “So this is someone that was very close with Epstein.”

In conversations with reporters, House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., also questioned Ruemmler’s testimony to the panel.

“I think it is difficult to see how she’s being completely truthful in there with the answer that she’s giving the committee,” Garcia said.

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is continuing his panel’s Epstein investigation into its second year.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images; Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

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“She made the decision to have an ongoing personal friendship and relationship with someone that had been accused and convicted of sexual assault with a minor, and she has no explanation as to why she chose to continue that relationship,” he continued.

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Takeaways from Blanche and Clayton hearings: Fund for Trump allies and 2020 election at the forefront

2026-07-15T20:34:52.329Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/politics/takeaways-blanche-clayton-hearings-antiweaponization-fund

CNN’s Evan Perez breaks down the top takeaways from Acting AG Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/politics/takeaways-blanche-clayton-hearings-antiweaponization-fund#video-1

In twin hearings Wednesday, two nominees integral to executing President Donald Trump’s agenda worked to convince senators that they were up to the task: Todd Blanche for attorney general, and Jay Clayton to lead the US Intelligence community.

The men faced intense scrutiny from the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees on whether they could properly steer some of the federal government’s most critical divisions.

Blanche has a razor thin margin of error, as even a single Republican no-vote in committee could tank his nomination. That left him to walk a careful line between calmly assuring Republicans that he will continue his aggressive tenure at the Justice Department but without political interference from the president.

And though he appeared to achieve that goal, some Republicans still said Wednesday that they hadn’t made a final decision, notably Texas Sen. John Cornyn.

Clayton, who is currently the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York — Blanche’s former office — also faced tense questions about the winner of the 2020 election and a set of controversial subpoenas Clayton signed for New York Times journalists.

Here are takeaways from the hearings:

Sen. Booker and Acting Attorney General Blanche spar over Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger during confirmation hearing

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Blanche focused on staying calm and deflecting tough questions from Democrats and a few skeptical Republicans, emphasizing he could serve as attorney general without White House political interference — despite the fact he was previously Trump’s personal attorney.

Overall, he stuck to this strategy. Unlike his predecessor, Pam Bondi, who was known for fiery, prepared responses, Blanche largely avoided relying on notes and handled attacks confidently.

There were some tense exchanges with Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Adam Schiff. Booker, for instance, tried to push an argument about whether Blanche attended a private dinner with Paramount chairman David Ellison while the Justice Department was reviewing Paramount’s planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. Blanche snapped: “You won’t even let me answer the question, man.”

Earlier, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, used his time to criticize FBI Director Kash Patel and asked whether Blanche would allow Patel’s alleged misconduct, including misuse of FBI aircraft, to continue. Blanche replied, “That’s an extraordinarily obnoxious question, Senator.”

For Clayton, testy exchanges — particularly over election-related responses — exasperated lawmakers. Still, the overall tenor of the hearing suggested that his nomination is on track.

Clayton is also boosted by the man Trump chose as acting director, Bill Pulte, who has drawn bipartisan alarm over his complete lack of national security experience, and Democrats have been keen to keep his tenure short.

Two of the Justice Department’s most controversial efforts were front and center at Blanche’s hearing: the Epstein saga and the anti-weaponization fund.

Some conservatives say they’re still deciding whether to back Blanche after he signed the nearly $1.8 billion fund, an effort critics warned could finance allies of the president, including some who stormed the Capitol.

Blanche insisted that “the weaponization fund is dead,” and said that the tax addendum — which is the only part of the agreement between Trump’s personal attorneys and the Justice Department still stands — “binds only the IRS and by extension the Treasury” from investigating the president for potential crimes, not other agencies.

One of the possible GOP defectors, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, told Blanche he had done well during the hearing and signaled to CNN he was leaning towards supporting the nomination

“I have to have absolute certainty that 1776 fund cannot rear its ugly head,” said Tillis, at times a Trump critic who is not running for reelection.

On Epstein, Blanche defended DOJ’s handling of the release of more than 3 million pages of documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The department drew severe criticism for their handling of the records — some were redacting perpetrators and not victims while others accidentally included names and details of the victims themselves.

Blanche defended the department’s work by saying that while redaction issues existed, they were corrected, adding that mistakes were addressed after release and that only about 1% of the redactions required fixes.

The fate of Blanche’s nomination hinges on two Republican senators with nothing to lose: Cornyn and Tillis. If either votes against the nomination in committee, it would be enough to effectively kill it. But Tillis is leaning toward supporting Blanche, while Cornyn says he’s undecided.

Both senators, not returning next year after Cornyn lost his primary to a Trump-backed rival and Tillis decided to retire, have been among the sharpest GOP critics of the proposed “anti-weaponization” fund. Cornyn told CNN on Tuesday that his concerns are far from alleviated.

“Well, basically, he confirmed that it’s not dead. It can’t be changed without written consent of the parties, according to the settlement agreement. There is no written consent of the parties, and he agreed that it could be enforced as a matter of contract,” he told CNN.

Tillis said that he’s “leaning yes” on Blanche, but he made clear more steps needed to be taken to kill the weaponization fund.

Acting Attorney General Blanche clarifies whether President Trump is his friend during confirmation hearing

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/politics/takeaways-blanche-clayton-hearings-antiweaponization-fund#video-3

Blanche faced scrutiny over his unusual position as being both the head of federal law enforcement and, previously, Trump’s defense lawyer.

Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana asked Blanche if he and Trump were “friends,” and if Blanche monitors all of Trump’s actions.

Blanche says he “is” the president’s lawyer, before correcting himself and saying he “was” the president’s lawyer, “and now I’m the deputy attorney general.”

The Justice Department’s ethics office has previously warned Blanche of the thorniness around Trump’s legal interests, and said he needed to recuse from investigations where Trump had an interest.

Just before the hearing ended, Blanche acknowledged he has recused himself from any involvement in DOJ action related to the now-ended three criminal cases against Trump: a false-business-records prosecution in New York, the January 6 investigation and the case of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

DNI Nominee Clayton does not answer who won the 2020 presidential election in heated exchange with Sen. Ossoff

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/politics/takeaways-blanche-clayton-hearings-antiweaponization-fund#video-4

In multiple instances, Clayton responded to direct questions from Democrats about whether Joe Biden had won the 2020 election by responding that Biden was “certified” as the president — neatly sidestepping the question of whether he “won,” an emotional third rail for Trump.

“Isn’t it humiliating to be unable to answer this question to have to indulge the president’s delusions?” asked Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat. “We know, you know, everybody in this room knows the truthful answer to that question. Why can you not give it?”

In the final moments of the hearing, Clayton acknowledged to Vice Chair Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, that Biden had been “fairly and duly elected under our process.”

Clayton did not provide a detailed vision for the future of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, a broad coordination, overnight and analysis agency created after 9/11 to avoid dangerous intelligence silos.

There has long been a bipartisan sense that the agency has become bloated and ineffective, and Cotton made no secret of his expectation that Clayton should dramatically reduce the agency’s staff if confirmed. Pulte has fired dozens of officials from the office already.

Clayton told lawmakers he followed a “consultative process” with career prosecutors in his office before issuing a series of controversial subpoenas to New York Times reporters over an article published last week about the president’s use of a jet from the Qatari government as Air Force One.

“We followed the processes that we are required to follow,” Clayton told Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon. He declined to go into further detail, citing an “ongoing national security investigation.”

Senate Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton, a Republican of Arkansas, said a panel vote is expected on Clayton next week.

The Judiciary hearing is scheduled to hear additional witness testimony Thursday with a vote likely later this month.

Republicans will put forth former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who served under President George W. Bush; Jon Adler, the president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation; and Jennifer Bos, the mother of an Illinois woman whose body was allegedly abused by a noncitizen.

Democrats on the committee will call Elizabeth Oyer, who had served as a career pardon lawyer at the Department of Justice until she was fired by Blanche last year. Oyer, who sued over her ousting, claims she was terminated because she refused to bow to pressure from Trump appointees who wanted her to restore the gun rights of actor Mel Gibson, which he lost after a 2011 state domestic violence conviction.

Democrats also plan to call Dani Bensky, a survivor of Epstein.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Manu Raju, Ted Barrett and Lauren Fox contributed to this report

Trump administration puts up new panels on slavery at George Washington’s Philadelphia home

2026-07-15T21:33:08.8Z / reuters.com

People walk past the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 1, 2026. REUTERS/Hannah Beier/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Trump has attempted to reshape portrayal of US history
• New panels replaced old ones overnight
• Philadelphia mayor casts step as shameful

WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration put up new information panels on slavery at George Washington’s ​Philadelphia home on Wednesday, following a federal appeals court ruling that opened the way to ‌changing how slavery is portrayed at the national historical site.

While the Department of the Interior said the new panels had historical context, Philadelphia’s mayor said the Democratic-led city intends to seek a rehearing of legal issues in the case. The Republican ​president has sought to reshape historical institutions and the portrayal of U.S. history.

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“Overnight, under the cover of darkness, ​the federal government removed panels at the President’s House that told a thorough history ⁠of Philadelphia,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement.

Last month, a federal appeals court overturned a judge’s ​ruling that prevented the Trump administration from replacing a slavery exhibit in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.

HEADLINES ​CHANGED

The new panels, while retaining references to slavery and those enslaved by George Washington, removed some headlines in the earlier panels, such as “The Dirty Business of Slavery.” The new panels instead read: “Celebrating Independence Throughout the Years.” They also exclude a map of ​slave trade routes.

“These new panels are full of historical context and highlight the momentous events that took ​place in the President’s House and the other sites at Independence National Historical Park,” the Department of the Interior said in ‌a ⁠statement.

The department said the new panels “acknowledge the evils of slavery.”

The change concerned Alan Spears, senior director for cultural resources at the National Parks Conservation Association.

“This appears to be an effort to soften or sanitize the way the history of slavery is interpreted at Independence National Historical Park,” Spears said.

“And I have grave concerns about how ​this impacts the ability ​of our national parks ⁠to fulfill their role as honest brokers of our shared national narrative.”

Trump’s declarations and executive orders in his second term have led to the dismantling of slavery exhibits, ​the restoration of Confederate statues and other moves that civil rights advocates say ​could reverse ⁠decades of social progress and undermine the acknowledgment of critical phases of American history. He has said he aims to remove “anti-American” ideology.

The White House has targeted the Smithsonian Institution over its portrayal of history. Groups such as the Organization ⁠of American ​Historians have condemned Trump’s actions, saying they serve his political agenda.

Trump ​has been widely rebuked by civil rights groups for citing “reverse discrimination,” for saying civil rights have hurt white people, and for saying museums ​focused too much on “how bad Slavery was.”

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington, editing by Donna Bryson and Rod Nickel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

英格兰遭阿根廷逆转无缘决赛 英国球迷梦碎

2026年7月16日 07:33 / 联合早报

https://news-multimedia-1393112320.cos.ap-guangzhou.myqcloud.com/83a68240d204023381a4316b0fd75e225560ad62318322ddbb25204cc6d7c578

在家乡观看直播的英格兰球迷在球队无缘世界杯决赛后，难掩沮丧之情。 （路透社）

（伦敦法新电）英格兰国家队再次冲击世界杯决赛失败，“足球无法回家”，英国各地弥漫失落情绪。全国各地成千上万守在电视机前的英格兰球迷，在目睹球队在新加坡时间星期四（7月16日）以1比2遭宿敌阿根廷逆转绝杀后，均感到无比沮丧与失落。

见证英格兰从手握一球优势，到被阿根廷在比赛尾声连入两球逆转后，33岁的球迷班农（Bannon）神色迷茫地站在伦敦北部一家酒吧外对法新社记者说：“我原本燃起了希望，但希望终究是转瞬即逝的。”

球赛进行时，伦敦的各大酒吧和娱乐场所人满为患，许多未能挤进店内的球迷只能站在街头，透过窗户关注着这场高潮迭起的比赛。班农赛后在消失在夜色前说：“有点苦涩，但这种失败我们以前也见识过，所以其实心里早有预料……我想，一切又回到原点。”

在夜生活圣地卡姆登镇，随着英格兰队最终吞下败仗，人们在沉默中鱼贯走出各家酒吧。这场失利不仅意味着英格兰错失在决赛中对阵西班牙，为2024年欧锦赛失利复仇的机会，更意味着他们失去自1966年首次夺冠后，阔别60年再夺取第二座大力神杯的良机。

身穿英格兰球衣的21岁学生杰米玛（Jemima）伤心地说：“我真的很难过，也很沮丧。我本来很有信心……而且比赛一开始进展得那么顺利！”

英阿历史宿怨交织

对于年轻一代的英格兰球迷而言，这还是他们第一次亲眼见证国家队与阿根廷队的正面较劲。两队上一次在正式国际大赛中交手，还要追溯到2002年世界杯小组赛，当时英格兰以1比0险胜。

31岁的科技公司员工丹尼森（Denison）与300多人一起挤在爱丁堡城堡酒吧的户外大屏幕前看完比赛。他说：“我们都知道，这是英格兰第一次面对梅西（Messi），也是梅西第一次在世界杯对阵英格兰。这是我们所有人都在期待的世纪对决！太史诗级了。”

https://news-multimedia-1393112320.cos.ap-guangzhou.myqcloud.com/3c4aae4570918b1ff8b6cd9314bb2b97406a030ca08ba7dcd7c552bfd2d9c928

英格兰国家队失利后，球迷连喝酒兴致都一扫而空，桌上留下满杯的啤酒更显落寞。（路透社）

他补充道：“显而易见，这场对决承载了太多历史，不是吗？”他所指的正是1986年世界杯上马拉多纳（Maradona）那记名垂青史的“上帝之手”，以及两国之间至今未了的福克兰群岛主权争议。

与此同时，在英国首都的另一端，数百名阿根廷球迷则齐聚在伦敦南部的坎伯韦尔区。他们身披蓝白间条旗，在灯塔剧院里伴随着密集的鼓声疯狂欢呼，庆祝国家队完成这场荡气回肠的逆转。

西班牙队此前已在另一场半决赛中以2比0淘汰法国。随着阿根廷挺进决赛，他们将在下星期一（20日）与西班牙会师，向着队史第二座世界杯冠军发起最后冲击。

https://news-multimedia-1393112320.cos.ap-guangzhou.myqcloud.com/cedaddb95b03048d0f33b03a4ffe01d976b319f625d107610a2f9bf66dcdfbef

点击《联合早报》世界杯专页，获知世界杯比分、赛程和最新新闻等资讯。

House vote to end Israel aid divides Democrats, with 103 voting to cut off funding

July 15, 2026 / 5:43 PM EDT / CBS News

By Caitlin Yilek Politics Reporter
Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

Read Full Bio

Washington — House Democrats were sharply divided on whether to cut off aid to Israel during a floor vote on the issue Wednesday, marking the latest flashpoint in the party’s rift over support for the U.S. ally.

The amendment — which was introduced by GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has consistently opposed foreign aid — would have eliminated $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel. Massie submitted the amendment to the annual State Department appropriations bill that the House passed later Wednesday.

The amendment failed in a 104-314-10 vote, with 103 Democrats voting in favor, 98 voting against and 10 voting present. Massie was the sole Republican to support it.

The issue also split Democratic leaders, who are usually in lockstep.

In a letter to House Democrats on Tuesday, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he opposed Massie’s measure, calling it “overly broad in that it prohibits or would limit the use of funds for longstanding initiatives related to humanitarian aid, refugee resettlement, peace-building and U.S. Embassy operations.” He said it would also restrict the United States’ ability to confront Hamas and Hezbollah.

But Jeffries noted the “strongly held views” within the party on the issue and said leaders would not persuade members to vote a certain way. He also called for a “major reset” between the U.S. and Israel.

On Wednesday, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts announced she would vote to strip aid from Israel, arguing “the status quo is not tenable.”

“I will be voting yes, not because I agree with the entirety of the amendment, or the GOP’s cynical motivations for its consideration, but because I believe we must change course. While Democratic members will make different decisions on this amendment in good faith, we are absolutely united in our shared goal of permanent peace,” she said in a statement.

The vote comes as Democratic candidates’ stances on Israel have been a key test in the party’s primaries. In recent weeks, several incumbent Democrats, who have been supportive of Israel, lost their primaries to progressive challengers who have been highly critical of the U.S. ally.

Democratic Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, acknowledged concerns about the amendment eliminating humanitarian aid, but said that “opposing the billions in military funding is what’s most important here.”

“More Democrats than ever before voted to stop sending money to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, despite the fact that this amendment was an imperfect vehicle for our movement,” Casar said in a statement after the vote. “That is a victory for the millions of Americans who have demanded an end to US taxpayer support for the Israeli military’s war crimes.”