Bessent flips script on shouting Democrat: ‘No wonder people are leaving’ his blue state

June 5, 2026 12:20pm EDT / Fox News

The Treasury secretary jabbed Rep Brad Schneider over Illinois’ net outbound migration during a Ways and Means hearing

By Charles Creitz, Fox News

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was shouted at during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing this week by a Chicago-area Democrat amid a heated exchange over the Trump economy.

Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., followed several other Democrats in condemning rising prices during the Iran conflict, while Bessent repeatedly pushed back on assertions about his policies by pointing to higher commodity prices during the Biden administration.

At one point in the exchange, Bessent slammed Schneider’s Democrat-run Illinois for driving people away through its own economic policies — a comment that incensed the lawmaker.

Bessent first jabbed at Schneider after the Democrat asked whether he wanted to “correct the record” on a prior statement about the Iran conflict being “ended,” asking the secretary whether Iran was no longer a threat to Israel or U.S. allies and whether its offensive weaponry had been destroyed.

TOP FIERY MOMENTS AS DEMOCRATS CLASH WITH TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT IN CHAOTIC HILL HEARINGS

U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government hearing on “proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Treasury” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2026.(SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Bessent smiled and asked if that meant Schneider was “in agreement” with President Donald Trump — as the Democrat had listed off all the president’s goals otherwise ridiculed by critics.

“Unless an American life is lost, he does not believe that he will have to restart the kinetic attacks,” Bessent said.

Schneider became increasingly agitated and reclaimed his time as the back-and-forth grew heated.

Schneider connected the Iran conflict with increased commodities prices, saying that the cost of living is continuing to rise and blaming Bessent and his boss for overseeing such spikes.

Bessent countered that the Treasury calculated the current core inflation rate at 2.8%, close to the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal, and quipped to Schneider that “you can list off the most expensive groceries that have had the biggest price increases.”

HOW TRUMP HANDED THE DEMOCRATS A GIFT BY SEEMING TO DISMISS FINANCIAL WORRIES OF AMERICANS

Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., left, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, right.(Graeme Sloan/Getty Images; Nathan Posner/Getty Images)

When Schneider responded that Bessent was out of touch and reiterated that he blamed Trump tariffs for commodity spikes for his Chicago-area constituents, Bessent smiled and offered him an invitation on how to fix that.

“Well, you Democrats should know — no wonder so many people are leaving Illinois. Why don’t you come see me in South Carolina?” Bessent said, as Schneider continued in an elevated tone and claimed people were not leaving the Land of Lincoln.

“You’re saying Illinois doesn’t have net outbound migration?” Bessent quipped.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6397468758112

Schneider then changed the subject to Trump’s settlement with the IRS over former Booz Allen Hamilton contractor Charles Littlejohn’s leak of his and others’ tax returns.

When Schneider fumed that no one, including Trump, is “above the law,” Bessent said that the president is also not “beneath the law” and blamed Schneider’s party for “weaponizing the system.”

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“His taxes should never be leaked. No taxpayer information should be leaked…” Schneider began before Bessent injected his dry humor again.

“Then, congressman, would you like to apologize to the president right now on behalf [of your party]?”

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

By

Katelyn Polantz

,

Tierney Sneed

2 hr ago

PUBLISHED Jun 5, 2026, 1:46 PM ET

The U.S. Capitol building on May 20, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Samuel Corum/Sipa USA/AP

Summary

• The chief of staff to a Texas Republican congressman has been charged with bringing a firearm into the US Capitol complex, according to court documents.
• Luis Angel Vega allegedly carried a pistol and ammunition through security in December without a license to carry, the documents say.
• Vega told Capitol Police he usually enters the building with Rep. Pete Sessions, who is exempt from security screening, according to the documents.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

The chief of staff for Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican, was charged Wednesday with bringing a firearm into the US Capitol complex, according to court documents obtained by CNN.

Luis Angel Vega is expected to make an appearance in DC Superior court Friday on the charges, which stem from an alleged incident in December.

Capitol security officers found the black pistol Vega and ammunition allegedly carried when Vega sent his bag through a security checkpoint at the entrance of a House office building that’s part of the Capitol complex, the court documents said. They then instructed Vega to lock up the firearm in his car and then return for his bag to be re-screened, which he did, according to the filings.

The charging documents describe a telephone interview that US Capitol Police conducted with Vega a week after the alleged December 22 episode. Vega told the police officer that he did not have a license to carry the pistol, according to the court filings, and that usually he enters the House office building with Sessions — referred to was “Witness-1” in the documents — who is exempt from being screened by the mags.

“The day of the offense was out of the ordinary in that Witness-1 entered the building separately from the defendant and the defendant forgot there was a pistol in his bag,” the court filings said.

It is not clear why the warrant for Vega’s arrest was issued months after the incident, prompting his first court appearance set for Friday.

CNN reached out to Session’s office for comment. A lawyer for Vega has not yet been identified.

The US Capitol Police and US Attorney’s office in DC didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

Vega faces two counts: carrying a gun outside his home without a license and carrying a firearm onto the Capitol grounds.

CNN’s Ellis Kim and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.

Rhode Island judge refers DOJ lawyers for possible discipline over handling of transgender care investigation

June 5, 2026 / 3:09 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — A federal judge in Rhode Island referred Justice Department lawyers for possible discipline on Friday over their handling of an investigation into transgender youth care at a hospital in the state, after previously finding that the lawyers misled the court and withheld information.

The referral came after U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy quashed an administrative subpoena that the Justice Department issued to the hospital seeking years of sensitive medical information for every minor transgender patient who received medical care at Rhode Island Hospital, as part of a sprawling investigation into gender-transition treatments.

McElroy, who was appointed by President Trump in 2019, wrote in a decision last month that the subpoena lacked a congressionally authorized purpose and was issued “for an improper purpose in bad faith.” She also lambasted the Justice Department in her ruling, calling the difference between the “honorable conduct” expected of prosecutors and the department’s tactics in the case “unsettling.”

The Justice Department, she wrote in her May 14 opinion, “possesses immense prosecutorial authority and discretion. As citizens, we trust that federal prosecutors, when wielding this awesome power against a state, a company, or certainly against vulnerable children, will play fair and be honest with its counterparts and the judiciary. DOJ has proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case. “

McElroy went on to accuse Justice Department lawyers of misrepresenting facts under oath and withholding information from her court and a federal court in the Northern District of Texas. She accused government lawyers of doing so “in an obvious effort to shield its recent investigative tactics — previously rejected by every other court to review them — from this Court’s review, in favor of a distant forum that DOJ deems friendly to its political positions.”

The judge was referring to the Justice Department’s decision to seek an order from a judge in Fort Worth, Texas, that would compel Rhode Island Hospital to turn over the documents sought by the administrative subpoena last year.

In its effort to obtain the order from the Texas court, a Justice Department lawyer named Lisa Hsiao said in a declaration that Rhode Island Hospital failed to comply with the subpoena and stopped communicating with the department in February. But McElroy, the Rhode Island judge, said that claim was “clearly misleading, if not utterly false,” because representatives from Rhode Island Hospital had responded to an email from Justice Department lawyers about search terms for compliance with the subpoena.

“This reckless disregard for the duty of candor owed to a federal court is appalling,” McElroy wrote.

The judge also questioned the Justice Department’s decision to pursue enforcement of the subpoena in Texas, noting that Hsiao and other government lawyers who appear to be assigned to the investigation are based in Washington, D.C. Still, the Texas court went on to grant the Justice Department’s bid to enforce compliance with the subpoena and ordered Rhode Island Hospital in late April to turn over all records covered by the demand. The hospital has appealed the decision.

The Justice Department’s Civil Division denied McElroy’s claims about its lawyers in a statement earlier this week.

“Such accusations against Department attorneys are rare and serious. The Department treats them accordingly and is committed to taking all appropriate remedial action where warranted,” it said.

The Justice Department continued: “The Civil Division has thoroughly reviewed the District Court’s allegations and concluded that they are without merit. Our attorneys did not misrepresent facts, withhold relevant information, or otherwise mislead the Court.”

受爱尔兰经济数据大幅下修拖累，欧元区首季经济由原估增长0.1%修正为萎缩0.2%。 （彭博社／示意图）

欧元区经济今年初出现萎缩，爱尔兰经济遭遇前所未有的下滑导致原本显示的微弱增长向下修正。

彭博社报道，欧洲统计局星期五（6月5日）公布，第一季度欧元区国内生产总值（GDP）下滑0.2%，初值为增长0.1%。这主要是由于爱尔兰GDP大幅下修为萎缩12.1%。

大量总部位于爱尔兰的跨国公司常常会扭曲欧元区的整体数据，但第一季度的大幅下滑使得判断该地区经济走向变得愈发困难。这增加了欧洲央行任务的复杂性，使其在评估中东冲突影响并制定适当的货币政策应对时面临更大挑战。

除爱尔兰的数据外，一些主要经济体的统计数据近日也修正。法国经济陷入萎缩，意大利的数据则好于初值。

英国摄影大师操刀 挪威国家队维京风写真照引爆全网

2026年6月5日 23:05 / 联合早报

挪威国家队发布的一组维京人主题团队照红爆全网。 （取自大卫·亚罗社媒）

（奥斯陆综合电）挪威国家队日前发布了一组极具戏剧张力的“维京人”主题团队照而风靡网络。在这组照片中，国家队球星们身着传统北欧战士风格的服饰，手持盾牌与长剑，在充满古老维京氛围的场景中飒爽亮相。

这组通过挪威足总官方平台分享的照片，瞬间在社交媒体上爆红。包括神锋哈兰德（Haaland）在内的多名挪威球员都参与了拍摄，化身为历史感十足的北欧勇士。

据《竞技》报道，这组维京主题的写真照于上周末在挪威首都奥斯陆拍摄，他们出自英国著名摄影师大卫·亚罗（David Yarrow）之手。挪威足总之所以策划这次拍摄，是因为他们决定“为球队（回归世界杯）的团体照注入些不一样的新意”。

此前，挪威球迷们在看台上高唱着维京传统战歌，并整齐划一地模仿坐在“维京战船”上奋力划桨的动作为球队呐喊助威的画面，也在全球各大社交平台上疯传。

这是挪威国家男子足球队自1998年以来，阔别28年首次重返世界杯正赛舞台。他们被分在了I组。同组对手包括传统豪门法国，还有非洲劲旅塞内加尔和亚洲球队伊拉克。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykb4TTWY4Sk

点击《联合早报》世界杯专页，获知世界杯实时比分和最新新闻等资讯。

世贸组织：2026年全球货物贸易仍保持韧性

2026年6月5日 23:26 / 联合早报

世界贸易组织的报告显示，货物贸易增长可能开始放缓，但仍保持韧性。图为美国加利福尼亚州的洛杉矶港。 （法新社）

世界贸易组织发布报告说，尽管受到中东冲突持续的不利影响，2026年全球货物贸易仍保持韧性，与人工智能相关的电子元件需求上升是主要利好因素之一。

世贸组织星期五（6月5日）发布的本年度最新一期《货物贸易晴雨表》显示，全球货物贸易景气指数当前为101.7，较1月份的102.3略有下降，表明货物贸易增长可能开始放缓。

新华社报道，根据全球货物贸易景气指数的编制规则，数值100为基准点，如果指数大于100，表示全球货物贸易增长高于预期水平，反之则表示增长低于预期水平。

报告说，货物贸易驱动因素显示，与人工智能相关的电子元件需求激增，或在一定程度上抵消了中东冲突带来的负面影响。

世贸组织在今年3月发布全球贸易展望报告中预计，2026年全球货物贸易增速为1.9%，相比2025年增速下滑较大。若原油和液化天然气价格持续走高，2026年全球货物贸易增速将降低0.5个百分点至1.4%。

“少年善行网络”启动 年轻人主导创建公益交流平台

2026年6月5日 23:49 / 联合早报

少年基层公益组织“小手大行”由李俊凯（左起）、李俊毅和李佳颖创办。在过去的五年中，他们一直倡导“少年善行”运动，并入围去年“总统志愿服务及慈善事业奖”新设立的基层类别。 （梁麒麟摄）

基层公益组织“小手大行”星期五（6月5日）在淡马锡店屋首次举行“少年善行节”，启动“少年善行网络”。善行节将每两年举行一次，为少年主导公益项目提供学习和交流的平台。

今年的善行节邀请前总统、新加坡社科大学名誉校长哈莉玛作为主宾，为“少年善行网络”（Network of Deeds by Kids）主持启动仪式。活动全程由青少年义工操办，展出11项由少年主导的公益活动，以及两组座谈会，深入探讨少年主导公益的可持续性和“以人为本”的理念。

“少年善行网络”旨在为有意带来积极改变的少年提供同侪支持和合作平台，并为他们连接社会服务机构，增强项目的可持续性。发起该网络的“小手大行”，则负责管理成员与合作伙伴、项目管理与活动运营、宣传与沟通，以及收集数据并提交报告。

成员可借助网络的咨询委员会，寻求战略指导、合作伙伴关系和可持续发展等建议。初始成员预计200人，善行节的参与者都将受邀加入。

哈莉玛认为，“少年善行网络”正是为那些想做点什么，但不知从何开始、如何获取资源、没有经验的青少年们提供支持。“这时候，他们就可以使用网络，通过不同渠道获得支持，并动员志同道合的人。”

“小手大行”于2021年由李俊凯、李佳颖、李俊毅发起，倡导“少年善行”（Deeds by Kids）运动，通过儿童和青少年主导的义工活动，鼓励年轻人服务社区。

五年前，由于母亲太累，当时6岁的李佳颖代替母亲为李俊凯（当时9岁）和李俊毅（当时4岁）念睡前故事。这让三人萌生为其他小伙伴念故事的想法。

历经五年，团体从三人发展为集结超过80名活跃志愿者的组织， “小手大行”也逐渐由儿童公益拓展到其他公益活动。

李俊凯说：“志愿者多为小六至中四的学生。很多都是以家庭为单位加入的，我们最小的志愿者只有4岁。”

“小手大行”每年会推出约四个公益项目，每个项目会举办五到六期活动。举办过的项目包括儿童阅读公益（Kids Reading to Kids）和环境公益（FibreRevive）等旗舰项目，以及一系列鼓励乐龄参与的活动，如击鼓和手机摄影等。

善行节上介绍11个公益组织的活动与项目，并由民众投票选出四个奖项的得主。其中，关注客工群体的“Project Integrate”获得“少年善行奖”（Deeds by Kids Apex Award）。

项目由来自华侨中学（初中部）的王俊凯（16岁）、黄千峻（16岁）、林纯乐（16岁）和洪启智（16岁）负责推动。他们通过提供免费餐食、安排体检、组织节日游览等，让客工们感受温暖和关怀，积极融入本地社区。

黄千峻受访时说，印象最深刻的是“节日游览”，带领客工们到滨海湾花园体验新加坡的华人新年习俗。他因此了解到，为新加坡做出贡献的许多客工其实是第一次到那里去，希望通过善行帮客工融入社会。

美军否认伊朗向美军舰进行警告射击

2026年6月5日 23:31 / 联合早报

美军中央司令部发表声明说，伊朗有关在阿曼湾向美国军舰进行警告射击并迫使其“撤退”至印度洋的说法不实。声明说，伊朗军队“并未攻击美国军舰或向其开火”。

据伊朗伊斯兰共和国广播电视台星期五（6月5日）报道，伊朗海军向两艘美军驱逐舰警告射击，将其驱离阿曼湾。

新华社引述电视台星期五的报道称，伊朗海军使用导弹和无人机进行警告射击后，“入侵的DDG-103和DDG-87（美军）驱逐舰已离开阿曼湾，驶向印度洋”。

DDG-103和DDG-87分别指美军特拉克斯顿号和梅森号驱逐舰。

美国财政部星期四（6月4日）公告，将古巴国家主席迪亚斯-卡内尔及其部分直系亲属，以及古巴前国家主席劳尔·卡斯特罗的家族成员实施制裁。图为劳尔·卡斯特罗（左）与时任古巴国家第一副主席迪亚斯-卡内尔（中）现身2018年古巴全国人民政权代表大会。 （法新社档案照）

美国官方宣布对古巴国家主席和前国家主席卡斯特罗家族成员等实施制裁，中国外交部对此回应时指，美国搞乱古巴终将反噬自身。

中国外交部发言人星期五（6月5日）晚在官网就美国宣布制裁古巴国家主席等答记者问时说，美方变本加厉，升级对古封锁制裁，公然列名古巴领导人，再次暴露恃强凌弱的霸权霸道霸凌嘴脸，中方对此坚决反对。

发言人指出，古巴稳定是国际社会的普遍期待，搞乱古巴最终也将反噬自身。

发言人敦促美方立即停止对古巴的封锁和任何形式的胁迫施压，停止侵犯古巴人民的生存权、发展权，并称中方将一如既往坚定支持古巴维护国家主权和安全，反对外来干涉。

美国财政部外国资产控制办公室星期四（4日）宣布，把古巴五名个人和五个实体列入制裁名单。被列入“特别指定国民清单”的个人，包括古巴国家主席迪亚斯-卡内尔、他的妻子和继子、古巴前国家主席、革命领袖劳尔·卡斯特罗的儿子和孙子。

受制裁实体为古巴保卫革命委员会、古巴与各国人民友好协会、古巴革命武装力量部、古巴国营旅游服务公司及一家合资矿业企业。

今年以来，特朗普政府对古巴实施了更多制裁，除了针对古巴的军方和情报官员，也进一步收紧古巴的燃油供应和船运。

美国5月20日宣布以谋杀等罪名起诉古巴前领导人劳尔·卡斯特罗（Raul Castro），引发有关特朗普要推翻这个共产主义国家的揣测。

中期选举压力使共和党人开始与特朗普唱反调

2026年6月5日 20:12 / 联合早报

美国总统特朗普正面对来自共和党内越来越多的阻力。 （彭博社）

（华盛顿综合电）美国总统特朗普向来习惯于让共和党议员对他言听计从，但随着共和党人对中期选举的选情日益感到担忧，特朗普的强硬执政风格正开始面对党内反弹。

法新社分析指出，从周三（6月3日）众议院通过决议迫使总统结束对伊朗战争，到对他的18亿美元（约23亿新元）反武器化基金，以及对耗资巨大的白宫宴会厅项目提出异议，这一系列事项凸显特朗普正面临越来越多的阻力。

特朗普在第二任期执政500天之际的支持率已跌至历史新低，共和党人越来越害怕，可能在11月中期选举失去对国会的控制权。特朗普是美国史上唯一被弹劾两次的总统，他本人也警告，如果让民主党夺回国会控制权，他可能会面临第三次弹劾。

弗吉尼亚大学政治学者萨巴托（Larry Sabato）说：“共和党人正在查看自己的民调，发现特朗普正在拖累他们的连任机会”。

美国众议院周三通过一项决议，要迫使特朗普结束对伊朗的战争。这对特朗普来说不只是一次最严厉的打击，也反映出美国国内日益不满特朗普处理伊朗问题的方式。

这是2月28日美国和以色列攻打伊朗以来，众议院第四次就限制总统战争权力的决议进行表决，也是众议院首次通过相关决议。值得注意的是，有四名共和党众议员与民主党人一起投下赞成票。

特朗普隔天在社交媒体上猛烈抨击这一举动，称这次表决毫无意义，是“不爱国”之举。他也痛斥四名倒戈的共和党议员，指责他们是哗众取宠之徒。

分析认为，伊朗战争带来的经济冲击，加剧了共和党人近期的不安情绪，他们不愿在选民担忧生活费上涨的时候，捍卫特朗普的政策优先事项。

《今日美国》专栏作家胡普克（Rex Huppke）说，共和党人“开始显露出些许骨气”。

不过，虽然共和党内有不满的声音、裂痕开始显现，但特朗普对大多数共和党人的控制依然明显。比如特朗普支持的“让美国再次伟大”（MAGA）候选人，在数场初选中击败了曾违抗他的共和党现任议员，展示了特朗普在党内的影响力有多大。

但萨巴托认为，这种情况最终可能对特朗普不利。萨巴托指特朗普迫使几名参议员和众议员引退，并且公开羞辱他们，这等于树敌。此外，共和、民主两党在国会参众两院的席位都非常接近，几名共和党议员的倒戈，就可能产生决定性的影响。

前田纳西州共和党参议员议员亚历山大（Lamar Alexander）说，特朗普需要听取党外人士的建议，而不是只听取那些为他工作、他可以随时解雇的下属们的意见。

他认为，赶走那些支持他的参议员，并不能让特朗普留下一个在他卸任时会引以为傲的政绩。