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

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/politics/takeaways-blanche-clayton-hearings-antiweaponization-fund#video-2

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

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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

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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。

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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.”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on initially dismissing claims by Platner accuser

2026-07-15T23:45:51.587Z / CNN

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By Jake Tapper, CNN

Published 7:45 PM EDT, Wed July 15, 2026

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Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on initially dismissing claims by Platner accuser

The Lead

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse joins The Lead.
2:05 • Source: CNN

中国拟实行统一税务行政处罚裁量基准

2026年7月16日 07:42 / 联合早报

中国拟在全国范围内实行统一的税务行政处罚裁量基准。

据中新社报道，中国国家税务总局研究制定《税务行政处罚裁量基准（2026年版）》，星期三（7月15日）起向社会公开征求意见。

中国国家税务总局有关司局负责人介绍，近年来，东北、西南、西北、中南、华北、华东等区域先后发布区域内统一的税务行政处罚裁量基准，在规范税收执法、强化税款征收等方面发挥了积极作用。但也存在体例结构不统一、科学合理性不足、裁量因素不一、指引作用发挥不足等问题。

负责人表示，制定税务行政处罚裁量基准，统一全国税务行政处罚尺度，有利于压缩税务行政执法自由裁量空间，防止同案不同罚，平等维护各类经营主体合法权益。为了更好服务全国统一大市场建设，国家税务总局研究制定《税务行政处罚裁量基准（2026年版）》，在全国范围内实行统一的税务行政处罚裁量基准。

该负责人介绍，此次制定的裁量基准有三个特点：统一体例结构，逐项列明法定依据、裁量阶次、适用条件和具体标准，一目了然，便于执行；统一基准内容，遵循立法本意，“一把尺子量到底”，实现对违法行为的科学评价；防止“一刀切”。充分运用“定额＋幅度”方式设置处罚标准，为个案处理留有合理的裁量空间，防止因简单化“一刀切”导致执法不公。

Hegseth requires testosterone deficiency screening for service members over 30

July 15, 2026 / 4:50 PM EDT / CBS News

By

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday the Pentagon will require service members over the age of 30 to be screened for testosterone deficiency annually. If they are recommended for treatment, they may choose to receive testosterone replacement therapy.

“I’m authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members, ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best,” Hegseth announced in a video on X titled “High-T Department.”

He said service members would be tested annually as part of their periodic health assessment. Those under 30 can voluntarily choose to be tested, as well.

“We owe our warriors the absolute best medical care in the world, and this program delivers on that obligation,” Hegseth said in the video. “Taking care of your long-term health means ensuring you remain strong, resilient and capable — not just for your next deployment, but for the rest of your life, so you can thrive long after you take off the uniform.”

The Pentagon has not released additional guidance about the policy. The Defense Health Agency referred questions to the Pentagon.

The definition of low testosterone varies, so its prevalence has a wide range, from 2% to 50% in different studies, according to the American Urological Association.

Then-Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, citing a 2007 study, said during a 2025 panel on testosterone replacement therapy that 5.6% of men aged 30-79 have low testosterone and symptoms, like depression and decreased strength.

Researchers have found military training can impact testosterone levels of service members.

“The high operations tempo and high stress that these service members go through can actually decrease testosterone, sometimes acutely and sometimes even in the long term,” Army Major Theodore Crisostomo-Wynne said at the 2025 FDA panel.

Major Crisostomo-Wynne is a urologist at Madigan Army Center and said he spoke to the panel in a personal capacity and was not representing the views of the Pentagon or Defense Health Agency.

He said testosterone deficiency is of particular concern in the special operations community where researchers have observed a new syndrome they are calling “The Operator Syndrome.”

“We think that it’s due to chronic stress, blast exposure, traumatic brain injuries and sleep disruptions, which lead to hormonal dysregulation, mood and cognitive changes,” Crisostomo-Wynne said. “And among the many medical and psychologic, you know, things that are at play in the syndrome, decreased testosterone and hormonal changes is one of the ones that seems to be prevalent in almost all of these guys.”

In his video, Hegseth called service members the military’s “most decisive tactical advantage.”

He said the battlefield “requires and demands maximum psychological and mental readiness, and by addressing these health markers early, we’re keeping you on the leading edge of lethality and giving you the same level of support that you give this nation the absolute best.”

US House defeats bid to cut off Israel aid in vote dividing Democrats

2026-07-15T20:55:48.775Z / Reuters

The U.S. flag flies at half staff outside of the U.S. Capitol building the morning after U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) died “from a brief and sudden illness,” in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Leah Millis Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Amendment would have blocked $3.3 billion in annual US security assistance
• Measure largely symbolic because Trump would likely have vetoed it

WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives defeated an amendment to cut off aid to Israel on Wednesday, despite nearly half of Democrats ​supporting it, reflecting a growing rupture between U.S. progressives and Israel over its attacks in Gaza.

The House voted 314 to ‌104 to defeat the measure, offered as an amendment to a State Department spending bill by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

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However, 103 Democrats and one Republican backed it, a sharp departure from years in which bills supporting Israel passed almost unanimously. Left-wing Democrats are pushing to end U.S. aid to Israel as they campaign in ​midterm election primaries, while moderate Democrats promote sending money that would be used for defensive weapons only.

Massie is a fiscal hawk who ​opposes all foreign aid, but he said he was also responding to the heavy toll on civilians of ⁠Israel’s attacks in Gaza. “There have been 70,000 casualties in Gaza and I don’t think we should be part of that,” he said during House ​debate.

His amendment would have barred any funding in the appropriations bill from being used for Israel, and blocked $3.3 billion in annual security assistance Washington sends ​Israel.

Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 people during a cross-border attack into Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli tallies. The Gaza health ministry said Israel’s subsequent offensive on the Strip killed more than 73,000 Palestinians.

Much of the enclave lies in ruin. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2 million people, most of whom have been displaced several ​times, now live on a tiny strip of land along the coast, mainly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

SHIFTING VIEWS ON ISRAEL

Wednesday’s vote would ​have been largely symbolic even if the House had backed the amendment. To become law, it would have had to pass the Senate and override an almost ‌certain veto ⁠by President Donald Trump, who has made support for Israel a central piece of his foreign policy.

Military aid to Israel, and U.S. political campaign contributions from Israel’s backers to candidates, have been a flashpoint for Democrats this year.

Criticism of Israel by U.S. political leaders marks a dramatic shift. Massie’s amendment sought to cut off annual funding included in a 2016 Memorandum of Understanding with Israel, which is effective until 2028.

In September 2016, the House ​voted 405 to 4 in favor ​of a resolution supporting that ⁠MOU.

Candidates have scored upset wins by running on a range of progressive issues, including opposition to Israel’s attacks in Gaza and even questioning the country’s right to exist.

The issue has also divided party leaders. Representative Hakeem ​Jeffries of New York, the House Democratic leader, said on Tuesday he would oppose Massie’s amendment, saying it ​was “too broad.”

But on ⁠Wednesday, No. 2 House Democrat, Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, said she would support it. “We should not provide a blank check for military aid to any country that does not comply with U.S. law, interests, and values,” she said in a statement.

Last month, influential Representative Adriano Espaillat lost in a New York ⁠Democratic primary ​to Democratic Socialists of America member Darializa Avila Chevalier. She had the backing of ​New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who also identifies as a democratic socialist.

Israel’s standing with Democrats will be tested again on August 4, when Michigan voters nominate candidates running for ​U.S. Senate, the U.S. House and governor as the state debates U.S. relations with Israel.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Richard Cowan; Editing by Rod Nickel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Pentagon proposes new secrecy power to withhold unclassified records from public-access laws

July 15, 2026 / 7:06 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — The Pentagon is asking Congress for broad new authority to withhold unclassified records from the public, a proposal that transparency advocates say could significantly reduce the public’s ability to scrutinize the nation’s largest federal agency and understand how billions of taxpayer dollars are spent.

The legislative proposal seeks to create a new section of federal law allowing the defense secretary to exempt certain “controlled unclassified information,” or CUI, from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act if the U.S. military determines the records concern national defense vulnerabilities and concludes that the harm from disclosure outweighs the public interest.

Brett Max Kaufman, senior counsel with American Civil Liberties Union’s Center for Democracy, told CBS News in an email that for decades, there has been “a massive overclassification problem throughout the executive branch.”

“The last thing the government needs is a new power to withhold information under the FOIA,” Kaufman wrote.

Controlled Unclassified Information was established under an executive order during the Obama administration to replace dozens of inconsistent “For Official Use Only” markings that agencies had developed over decades.

The CUI system was designed to standardize how agencies safeguard sensitive but unclassified information. Importantly, CUI itself does not create authority to withhold records from the public.

The National Archives, which oversees the government’s CUI program, has repeatedly emphasized that designation as CUI does not affect whether records may be released under the Freedom of Information Act. Agencies like the Defense Department must still rely on one of FOIA’s nine statutory exemptions to prevent the public disclosure of documents.

The Pentagon proposal would fundamentally change that relationship. Instead of treating CUI as an administrative marking, it would allow the Defense Department to use it as one of the central predicates for withholding records altogether.

Greg Williams, the director of the Center for Defense Information at the D.C. watchdog Project on Government Oversight, called the proposal “a significant concern” in an interview with CBS News. He said it would make receiving information through the FOIA process “a lot more difficult.”

“Controlled unclassified information is already very problematic because it’s not very carefully defined and it’s used to protect lots of different kinds of information,” Williams said, adding that when he was a contractor, the general guidance was, “when in doubt, mark it as CUI.”

The Freedom of Information Act, enacted in 1966, was designed to reverse the presumption of government secrecy by requiring federal agencies to disclose records unless they fall within one of the nine narrowly drawn exemptions. Congress has repeatedly amended the law to reinforce that principle, most recently through the FOIA Improvement Act of 2026, which strengthened the presumption of openness by requiring agencies to demonstrate a concrete — not speculative — foreseeable harm before withholding many records.

The Pentagon’s proposal, which was sent to Congress in late June for potential inclusion in legislation this year, comes amid a broader shift in how it has managed information under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Over the past year, the department has imposed new restrictions on reporters’ access and movement inside the Pentagon, requiring official escorts for areas that credentialed journalists had long accessed on their own.

The New York Times has filed lawsuits challenging the Pentagon policy that required reporters accessing the Pentagon to sign an agreement that could restrict information-seeking and the Pentagon’s journalist-escort policy. Federal judges ruled in favor of the New York Times, citing the First Amendment, but the Pentagon has appealed in both cases.

Pentagon officials describe the legislative proposal as an effort to better protect sensitive military information from foreign adversaries. The measure would mark a notable expansion of the department’s ability to keep unclassified records from public view. It would also allow the Defense Department to block state and local governments from releasing covered records under their own open records laws, extending the Pentagon’s control over information even after it leaves federal custody.

In a statement, acting Pentagon press secretary Joe Valdez said, “The legislative proposal seeks a statutory FOIA exemption for certain CUI that implicates national security interests to provide more uniform protection and more consistent withholding decisions for such information.”

The Pentagon’s proposal does not explain why existing FOIA exemptions are insufficient and claims there’s a gap in existing law to protect sensitive documents.

But much of the information the Pentagon says it is trying to protect is already shielded under existing law. Export-controlled technologies, protected critical infrastructure information, certain nuclear records, procurement-sensitive data and intelligence-related information are all covered by statutes or regulations that agencies already rely on to withhold records under FOIA.

Congress receives several legislative proposals each year after the Office of Management and Budget submits a budget request, but it’s unclear if this one will be included, since both the House and the Senate have already done their markups of the annual defense policy bill.

This is not the first time the Pentagon has sought language to adjust FOIA. For instance, a draft version of the annual defense policy bill in 2017 included language to withhold information “on military tactics, techniques, and procedures, and of military rules of engagements.” It prompted a coalition of oversight organizations to write to Congress opposing it.

Inside Defense first reported on the latest legislative proposal. If adopted, the legislation would become part of a FOIA system that has long suffered from chronic delays. The Defense Department’s backlog of FOIA requests has been growing. The most recent annual Pentagon FOIA report said that at the end of the 2025 fiscal year, there were 30,476 backlogged requests, a 42% increase from 2024.

The growing backlog reflects a FOIA system that has struggled to keep pace with the size and complexity of the modern federal government. Although FOIA requires agencies to respond within 20 working days in most cases, requests can remain pending for months or years, forcing petitioners to enter into costly litigation to compel agencies to act. By the time records are ultimately released, the public debate has often passed, undermining FOIA’s central purpose of providing timely public oversight of government decision-making.

Williams told CBS News the proposal on its face is unnecessary because there’s already a system for classifying sensitive national security information.

“Ask yourself, you know, if you’re going to mark something as ‘controlled unclassified information’ for national security concerns, why wouldn’t you classify it?” Williams said.

Officials asked to turn over phones at the White House as Wiles, Patel lead intensifying leak probe

2026-07-15 5:14 PM EDT / CNN

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By Kasie Hunt, CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/15/politics/video/the-arena-air-force-one-leak-probe-investigating-phones

Officials asked to turn over phones at the White House as Wiles, Patel lead intensifying leak probe

The arena

Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s closest aide, and FBI Director Kash Patel helped personally orchestrate a sprawling investigation last week at the White House aimed at determining who in the government leaked information about the security deficiencies of a Qatari-gifted airplane meant to be used as Air Force One – with some officials being asked to turn over their phones to investigators on White House grounds, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Andrew McCabe explains.