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The two men are almost the same age. Biden’s slight seniority is only an issue because there’s so little else to raise Joe Biden is a little tired. That shouldn’t be surprising. Biden is, after all, the president of the United States. He has a demanding job, an intense travel schedule and a re-election campaign looming, Most presidents, one would assume, are tired a lot of the time. Jill Filipovic is the author of the The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness Continue reading...

Sentencing hearings for two leaders of the far-right Proud Boys group have been rescheduled after the judge canceled Wednesday's proceedings because of a medical issue, multiple sources tell CNN.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze for about 30 seconds on Wednesday while speaking with reporters after a speech in Covington, Kentucky.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze for about 30 seconds during a brief gaggle with reporters after a speech in Covington, Kentucky. The incident is similar to an episode McConnell experienced at the US Capitol in late July.

Mitch McConnell, a US senator from Kentucky, has been the Republican Party's Senate leader since 2007.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appeared unable to speak halfway through a July 26, 2023, press conference. He was led away from the press conference and towards his office by fellow GOP Sen. John Barrasso. A short time later, McConnell returned and told CNN's Manu Raju that he was "fine."

The episode, which took place in the Republican leader’s home state of Kentucky, intensified questions about his future in the Senate.

Senator Mitch McConnell at the Capitol in May. He froze up while answering questions in Kentucky on Wednesday.

The only person who spent time behind bars as a result of the sweeping indictment related to efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump 's 2020 election loss in Georgia was released from jail Wednesday after he was granted bond a day earlier. A lawyer for Harrison William Prescott Floyd on Tuesday negotiated a $100,000 bond with the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Floyd was charged along with Trump and 17 others in an indictment that accuses them all of illegally conspiring to subvert the will of Georgia voters who had chosen Democrat Joe Biden over the Republican incumbent in the presidential election. TRUMP SAYS TAKING MUGSHOT WAS 'NOT A COMFORTABLE FEELING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG' Lawyers for Trump and the other defendants had all negotiated bonds before their clients surrendered at the Fulton County Jail by the deadline last Friday. Floyd had turned himself in Thursday without first having a bond and, therefore, had to remain in jail. A judge denied him bond during a hearing Friday, saying the issue would be addressed by the judge assigned to the case. The Fulton County Jail, where Floyd was held and where the others turned themselves in, has long been plagued with problems. Four people held in the main jail have died in the past month and the U.S. Department of Justice has an open civil rights investigation into jail conditions in the county. Floyd is charged with violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, conspiring to commit false statements and illegally influencing a witness. The charges are rooted in harassment of Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker who had been falsely accused of election fraud by Trump. Floyd took part in a Jan. 4, 2020, conversation in which Freeman was told she "needed protection" and was pressured to make false statements about election fraud, the indictment says. In addition to the Georgia charges, federal court records show Floyd, identified as a former U.S. Marine who’s active with the group Black Voices for Trump, was also arrested three months ago in Maryland on a federal warrant that accuses him of aggressively confronting two FBI agents sent to serve him with a grand jury subpoena. TRUMP SAYS TAKING MUGSHOT WAS 'NOT A COMFORTABLE FEELING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG' An agent’s affidavit filed in U.S. District Court says Floyd screamed, cursed and jabbed a finger in one FBI agent’s face and twice chest-bumped the agent in a stairwell. It says Floyd backed down only when the second agent opened his suit coat to reveal his holstered gun. Also on Wednesday, a lawyer who was charged in the indictment objected to a filing by Willis that sought clarification on trial timing. Prosecutor say Kenneth Chesebro worked on the coordination and execution of a plan to have 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate falsely stating that Trump won the state and declaring themselves the state’s "duly elected and qualified" electors. Chesebro last week filed a demand for a speedy trial while Willis sought to have the trial for all defendants begin Oct. 23. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set a trial on that date for Chesebro alone. In a filing Tuesday, Willis asked the judge to clarify whether his intention was to separate Chesebro from the other defendants for trial. She said she continues to believe all 19 defendants should be tried together and, at the very least, any of them who file speedy trial demands should be tried together. Trump attorney Steve Sadow wrote in a filing Wednesday that the court's order needs no clarification and that the judge used his "discretion proactively and soundly to presumptively sever" those who filed for a speedy trial. Sadow also said Trump intends to file a motion to sever his case from those defendants.

The incident marks the second time McConnell appeared to freeze and fall silent for several seconds.

House Oversight’s COVID-19 subcommittee is demanding to know what the Justice Department is doing about the billions of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic aid that was allegedly stolen by "international" criminals. Subcommittee chair Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting a full rundown of how many COVID relief dollars were stolen "by international actors or organizations," including which countries, and how many of those instances the Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into. His panel is also seeking an analysis of how many Americans were impacted by the fraud and any DOJ communications related to officials’ efforts to crack down on it. "This massive growth in government spending caused inflation and expanded the government to unprecedented levels," Wenstrup said, referring to the $4.6 trillion spent on the U.S. COVID-19 response as of the beginning of this year. SCHOOLS SCRAMBLE TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ MATH SKILLS AS TEST SCORES CONTINUE TO LAG POST-PANDEMIC "Worse still, these costly COVID-19-era programs were rife with waste, fraud and abuse. Criminals inside and outside the United States stole approximately $280 billion in taxpayer funds intended for struggling families, businesses, hospitals and others." He cited a report that some of those stolen funds were taken by foreign actors committing identity theft. MSNBC HOST DEFENDS SCHOOL LOCKDOWNS FOR COVID, ATTACKS 'DANGEROUS MYTHS' OF LEARNING LOSS "Some of these fraudulent actors were based outside the United States and may involve international criminal organizations. Estimates imply that at least half of all stolen COVID-19 relief funds went to Russian, Chinese and Nigerian criminals," Wenstrup wrote. "As of March 2022, the Department stated that it had taken criminal and civil enforcement actions in matters alleging over $8 billion in pandemic relief fraud, but it is unclear if this is limited to domestic fraud. It is highly concerning that possibly billions of taxpayer dollars intended to help Americans suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were stolen by organized criminal rings in foreign countries." BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WILL ENCOURAGE AMERICANS TO GET NEW COVID-19 VACCINE, KJP SAYS In addition to the specific information sought, the subcommittee is also looking for a staff-level briefing on "the Department’s civil and criminal actions to date in response to reports of fraud, waste, and abuse of coronavirus pandemic relief funds by overseas or international actors and criminal organizations." The DOJ last week announced charges against 371 defendants whose alleged COVID fraud offenses run more than $830 million.  "The Justice Department has now seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country," Garland said at the time. The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the subcommittee’s letter.

Pennsylvania is considering changing the state's 2024 presidential primary to an earlier day, although the proposed move may do little to give the state’s voters more say in deciding presidential nominees. State lawmakers plan to vote on legislation Wednesday that would change Pennsylvania’s primary from late April to late March. The state is a premier battleground in presidential elections, but it hasn’t hosted a competitive presidential primary since 2008, when Hillary Clinton pulled off a win to stay alive against Barack Obama, the leader in delegates and eventual winner of that year’s Democratic nomination. KANSAS SETS MARCH 2024 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DATE For now, President Joe Biden faces a couple of Democratic challengers, but is expected to secure his party’s nomination, while former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have dominated the early Republican race in a field that is about a dozen deep. Under current law, Pennsylvania’s primary date is the fourth Tuesday in April, which lands on April 23. Many states want to hold presidential primaries earlier, to give residents more influence in the trajectory of presidential campaigns. But Pennsylvania lawmakers have resisted a change because it would push the beginning of the state's customary 13-week primary season into the winter holidays. On Wednesday, a state Senate committee could advance a proposal to change the primary election to March 19 or March 26. The Senate bill’s sponsor has long pushed to hold Pennsylvania's primary earlier, before presidential candidates have all but locked down the delegates they need to win the nomination. In an interview, Sen. David Argall, R-Schuylkill, acknowledged that moving it to either of those dates still leaves many states with large numbers of delegates before Pennsylvania, including Super Tuesday primary states on March 5. By March 19, a candidate could lock up the delegates necessary to win the nomination, or at least put the contest out of reach. This year, more lawmakers are motivated to support a change because April 23 is the first day of Passover, a Jewish holiday when observant Jews typically avoid the same activities they avoid on the Sabbath, such as driving, working or using electricity. Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, has said he supports changing the date, as well. WATCH THE FULL REPUBLICAN PRIMARY DEBATE Argall's bill would move the primary date to March 19, the same date as Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Arizona. Still, that date comes after primaries in other major states, including California, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts and Tennessee. Many state lawmakers oppose moving Pennsylvania's primary date to March 19, because that would force them and other candidates to start gathering signatures on their re-election petitions the week before Christmas, Argall said. A forthcoming amendment to the bill would change the primary date to March 26. Under that scenario, Pennsylvania leaps over just Delaware, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, whose primaries are scheduled for April 2. Separately, a House bill expected to get consideration would move Pennsylvania's primary date to April 2, the first Tuesday after Easter. That would allow lawmakers and other candidates to start gathering signatures on their re-election petitions the day after New Year's Day, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, said.

Navarro told Judge Ahmit Mehta Tuesday that Trump had made it "very clear" that he wanted Navarro to invoke certain privileges and not respond to the Jan. 6 committee's subpoena.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged letters pledging to increase their cooperation, the White House said.

Ro Khanna says if Trump is Republican nominee, trials should not ‘compromise the ability to have a robust campaign schedule’ Assuming Donald Trump clinches the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, it would be unfair for any court dates associated with the former president’s pending criminal charges to “compromise [his] ability to have a robust campaign schedule”, the Democratic US congressman Ro Khanna has said. Khanna’s remarks on Tuesday – in an interview with the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt – might be surprising to some, given his credentials as a leading progressive voice in the House. Khanna was the former co-chairperson of the liberal US senator Bernie Sanders’s campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination that Joe Biden ultimately secured. Continue reading...

A Democratic justice on North Carolina's Republican-majority Supreme Court sued an ethics panel Tuesday to block it from investigating her public comments about state courts and colleagues, saying the probe and other recent scrutiny violate her free speech rights. Associate Justice Anita Earls filed the federal lawsuit against the state Judicial Standards Commission, which is charged by law with investigating potential violations of the state's judicial conduct code, and its members. She wants a judge to declare that the panel can no longer investigate her speech "on matters of public concern." A commission staff attorney wrote Earls two weeks ago that it planned to investigate her for a media interview in which she discussed the Supreme Court's recent record related to diversity. The letter, which was attached to the lawsuit, said the commission had already dismissed an earlier complaint in which Earls was accused of speaking publicly about some administrative matters under consideration by the seven-member court. JUDGE SCHEDULES EMERGENCY HEARING IN RFK JR'S LAWSUIT OVER YOUTUBE ALLEGEDLY CENSORING HIS CAMPAIGN The commission can issue a private caution letter to a judge, or recommend to the Supreme Court that a judge receive anything from a public reprimand to suspension or removal from office. Earls' lawsuit, filed in Greensboro, says the investigations have "led to a chilling of her First Amendment rights" and "interrupted her ability to do her work" as a justice, while other justices seemingly get to comment publicly about similar issues without challenge. "Any discipline from the Commission has the potential to derail Justice Earls from seeking or being considered for any future professional opportunities, which causes her considerable stress and anxiety," the lawsuit adds. Earls' unusual lawsuit, which says she's formally waived her confidentiality for the commission cases, comes as the state’s highest court in January switched from a 4-3 Democratic seat majority to 5-2 Republican control following last November’s election results. Anyone can file a complaint with the commission. An accuser’s name isn’t made public and the commission’s activities are performed behind closed doors with some exceptions. In an interview with Law360 released in June, Earls — the only Black woman on the court — discussed the court’s decision to end a commission looking at fairness and equity in the state court system and what she considered a lack of minority judicial clerks on the court. "I really do think implicit bias is at play," Earls was quoted as saying, adding that "there have been cases where I have felt very uncomfortable on the bench because I feel like my colleagues are unfairly cutting off a female advocate," including one who was Black. The The Aug. 15 letter from commission attorney Patricia Flood said the commission was specifically reopening an investigation into a complaint dismissed earlier this year that had examined her public discussion of the court's administrative matters in light of the print interview. KAMALA HARRIS SAYS AMERICA EXPERIENCING ‘EPIDEMIC OF HATE’ AFTER FLORIDA DOLLAR GENERAL SHOOTING In that interview, Flood wrote, Earls appears "to allege that your Supreme Court colleagues are acting out of racial, gender, and/or political bias in some of their decision-making." That would potentially violate a section of the conduct code which requires a judge to consider themselves "at all times in a manner which promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary," she added. But Earls' lawsuit pointed to a portion of the judicial code that permits judges to speak "concerning the ... legal, or governmental system, or the administration of justice." And it cited part of the interview where Earls said she was "not suggesting that any of this is conscious, intentional, racial animus" but that "we all have implicit biases." Commission Executive Director Brittany Pinkham said in an emailed statement Tuesday that the commission is nonpartisan, "statutorily obligated to investigate all instances of alleged judicial misconduct and cannot comment on pending investigations." The 14-member commission is composed of six judges picked by the Supreme Court chief justice — two each from the Court of Appeals, Superior Court and District Court; four lawyers appointed by the North Carolina State Bar Council; and four non-attorneys, with two picked by the governor and the other two by legislative leaders. There are two more alternate members. Commission staff can dismiss cases without having them to go to a panel of commissioners if they determine the allegations can't be supported. Earls, a civil rights attorney elected to the court in 2018, has become a foil to the Republican majority, which includes Chief Justice Paul Newby. She has criticized in dissenting opinions decisions by GOP colleagues to agree to reconsider rulings by the previous Democratic majority that had struck down photo voter identification and gerrymandered voting maps. Both of those reconsidered rulings were later reversed. Earls' seat is up for reelection in 2026.

Former president tells Glenn Beck he would have ‘no choice’ but to lock up opponents ‘because they’re doing it to us’ Donald Trump says he will lock up his political enemies if he is president again. In an interview on Tuesday, the rightwing broadcaster Glenn Beck raised Trump’s famous campaign-trail vow to “lock up” Hillary Clinton, his opponent in 2016, a promise Trump did not fulfill in office. Continue reading...

A federal judge has determined Rudy Giuliani forfeits the defamation lawsuit from two Georgia election workers against him, a decision that could lead to significant penalties for the former Donald Trump attorney.

The Biden administration seeks a threshold of about $55,000 in annual pay under which salaried workers must get overtime, up from $35,500.

Julie Su, the acting labor secretary, said in a proposed overtime rule “would help restore workers’ economic security.”

In clashes with the news media and his rivals, the Republican upstart has retreated from past comments and lied about on-the-record statements.

When asked about some past comments, Vivek Ramaswamy has denied ever making them or claimed to have been misquoted, even as those denials have been refuted.

The ruling means that a defamation case against Rudolph W. Giuliani, stemming from his role in seeking to overturn the 2020 election, can proceed to a trial where damages will be set.

Rudolph W. Giuliani outside the Fulton County jail in Atlanta last week.

Virginia lawmakers will reconvene in Richmond next week to consider a compromise General Assembly negotiators recently reached on the long-delayed state budget. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has called the part-time Legislature into session Sept. 6 to consider the deal, his office said in a news release Tuesday. "To make Virginia more affordable for families and local businesses, we must deliver on our shared goals for more jobs, safer and healthier communities, greater workforce and educational opportunities and much needed tax relief for Virginians. Together, we can get the job done," Youngkin said. DEMOCRATIC NC GOV. ROY COOPER REMAINS SKEPTICAL OF REPUBLICANS' PROPOSED TAX DEAL Last week, negotiators representing the Republican-controlled House of Delegates and Democratic-controlled Senate announced the bare-bones outlines of a compromise budget that would boost education spending and offer some tax relief, mostly in the form of one-time rebates. The full details of the plan, hashed out privately by the negotiators, haven't been released. This year's budget bill is long overdue. The politically divided General Assembly ended its regular session in February without full agreement on adjustments to the two-year state budget initially adopted in 2022. The state operates on a two-year budget cycle, with the plan initially adopted in even-numbered years and amended in odd-numbered years. Because there's an underlying budget, the gridlock over this year's adjustments did not impact the functioning of the state government. Still, lawmakers have faced criticism for failing to finish one of their most important jobs. NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS CLOSING IN ON STATE BUDGET THAT WILL LOWER INCOME TAX RATES Separately on Tuesday, the state's Department of General Services announced the completion of the new building on Capitol Square that will house legislative offices and meeting rooms. The new General Assembly Building will open to the public Oct. 11, the department said in a news release. Lawmakers and their staffs will begin the process of moving into the building in the coming weeks. "The new GAB will enable constituents, visitors and all interested parties to more easily observe and actively participate in the lawmaking process," House Speaker Todd Gilbert said in a statement. "It’s a beautiful new addition to our capital’s skyline and a building worthy of the consequential work that will be conducted within its walls." The building was constructed on the same footprint as the one it replaced. It will be connected to the nearby Capitol by a tunnel currently being constructed at an estimated cost of at least $25 million. The tunnel to the Capitol is expected to open ahead of next year's regular General Assembly session, the department said.

Despite being a vocal GOP critic of former President Donald Trump, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu – along with other state party officials – is staying away from a long-shot effort to keep Trump off the presidential ballot. Bryant "Corky" Messner, an attorney and prominent Republican who won the 2020 Republican Senate nomination thanks in great part to Trump's support, is mulling a lawsuit if Trump later this year files to put his name on the New Hampshire primary ballot.  Messner is very publicly questioning the former president's eligibility to run for the White House, and cites Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. That section disqualifies those who’ve taken an oath to support the Constitution from holding office again if they’ve "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the United States "or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." GET THE LATEST UPDATES FROM THE 2024 CAMPAIGN TRAIL, EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS AND MORE AT OUR FOX NEWS DIGITAL ELECTION HUB Sununu has repeatedly argued the former president – the current commanding front-runner for the Republican nomination – can't win next year's general election. The governor has teamed up with many of Trump's rivals as they campaign in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar. Sununu has repeatedly said he'll endorse a presidential candidate ahead of his state's primary. But he appears to be staying away from Messner's efforts to boot Trump from the primary ballot. SUNUNU ANNOUNCES DECISION ON 2024 GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION "The Governor first heard about this effort over the weekend. The Governor is not making any attempt or assisting any effort to keep anyone off the ballot. He has not spoken to and has nothing to do with Mr. Messner’s actions," Sununu spokesman Ben Vihstadt told Fox News in a statement. Vihstadt added that "providing he follows the same rules as all other candidates, the Governor doesn’t expect ballot access will be a problem for the former president." Ever since Trump launched his third straight White House bid last November, there's been talk of invoking the 14th Amendment to keep him off the ballot. But with his recent indictments in federal court and in Georgia on charges he attempted to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss to President Biden, the push has gained momentum. TRUMP'S POST-MUG SHOT FUNDRAISING HAUL A legal advocacy group that had previously targeted Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and then-Rep. Madison Cawthorne of North Carolina over ballot qualifications this summer sent letters to elections officials in nine states asking them to keep Trump from the ballot. Some legal scholars have advanced the argument. Among them are William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen of the conservative Federalist Society, who made their case in the Pennsylvania Law Review. "This article presented a very, very, compelling analysis that in fact Donald Trump is disqualified from being on the ballot," Messner told Fox News Digital. He said the article motivated him to take action, adding "the Constitution needs an advocate in this situation so that’s why I decided to jump into the fray." "My position is that it’s in everybody’s interest – including Donald Trump’s interest – to get this thing into the court system as quickly as possible [to provide legal guidance] and hopefully in front of the Supreme Court on an expedited basis." Messner met last Friday with New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan, who oversees elections in the Granite State. Scanlan is seeking legal input from the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office. "The Attorney General’s Office is now carefully reviewing the legal issues involved," read a joint statement on Tuesday from state Attorney General John Formella and Scanlan. The statement also spotlighted "misinformation asserting or implying that the Secretary of State’s Office has already taken a position on or is seeking to take certain action with respect to Donald Trump’s candidacy." Scanlan and Formella issued their statement as the Secretary of State's Office was flooded with calls after Charlie Kirk – a Trump ally and conservative talk show host who runs the right-wing nonprofit Turning Point USA – incorrectly told listeners that New Hampshire was trying to keep Trump off the ballot. "Neither the Secretary of State’s Office nor the Attorney General’s Office has taken any position regarding the potential applicability of Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution to the upcoming presidential election cycle," the statement said. Messner's move is getting pushback from the New Hampshire GOP. State party Chairman Chris Ager told Fox News that "Corky is a friend and I respect his opinions and judgment, but I totally disagree with him on this issue."  "I have communicated with Secy. Scanlan and I’m confident that all the current people listed as presidential candidates – I’m very confident that all of them, should they apply – would be on our ballot," Ager added. Ager said that "we will stay in contact with the secretary and if there is a lawsuit, I would expect that the party would do whatever it had to do to intervene on the side of allowing candidates to be on the ballot and not denying anyone." Asked about the effort in New Hampshire and in other states to keep the former president off the ballot, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung argued in a statement that "the people who are pushing this political attack on President Trump are stretching the law beyond recognition much like the political prosecutors in New York, Georgia, and DC. There is no legal basis for this effort except in the minds of those who are pushing it." But some of Trump's rivals for the nomination disagree. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson spotlighted at last week's first GOP presidential nomination debate that "over a year ago, I said that Donald Trump was morally disqualified from being president again as a result of what happened on Jan. 6. More people are understanding the importance of that, including conservative legal scholars,"  "I’m not going to support somebody who’s been convicted of a serious felony, or who is disqualified under our Constitution," Hutchinson added, as he received both boos and cheers from the audience at the debate, a Fox News-hosted showdown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says it has enough money to handle the impacts of Hurricane Idalia but that money will not last forever. FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said the agency has $3.4 billion left in its coffers to handle present disasters in Hawaii and Florida, but she is asking Congress for more assistance, as is Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. Scott is pushing a vote in the Senate next week to "plus-up" the depleted account to address immediate breakdowns. HURRICANE IDALIA MAKES LANDFALL OVER FLROIDA'S BIG BEND AS CATEGORY 3 STORM, TENS OF THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER Here is how federal disaster relief works: There are two pots of money to consider. The first is what FEMA covers immediately in the aftermath of a tornado, earthquake, hurricane, wildfire, ice storm, blizzard or flood. That comes from the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) or "DURF" as it is known in appropriations circles. That pot is full now, but the wildfire in Hawaii drew down the Disaster Relief Fund. Hurricane Idalia will drop that figure even lower. Moreover, the U.S. is about to enter the 12th month of the federal government’s fiscal year, so the balances are already low. That is why Scott and others will demand a vote to replenish the DRF. It is a problem if the account is bare and there is another hurricane or some other natural disaster. Criswell is already requesting that Congress approve a $12 billion "bridge" to get through the rest of the fiscal year. FLORIDA SEN RICK SCOTT DEMANDS 'IMMEDIATE' DISASTER RELIEF VOTE AS HURRICANE IDALIA MAKES LANDFALL The broader question is what Congress may appropriate to address the longer term impacts of the wildfires on Maui and Hurricane Idalia. That may take weeks or months to assess, and that price tag could be significant. The government could shut down if Congress fails to approve an interim spending bill by Oct. 1, the end of the fiscal year. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is already pushing a stopgap spending package to keep the federal lights on. So, lawmakers could do a standalone bill as Scott is pushing. However, the more likely scenario is that lawmakers attach the emergency money for FEMA to refill the DRF to an interim spending bill before the end of September. If it is determined that Maui and Florida require a more substantial aid package, Congress could craft that bill later this year as a standalone, latch it again to another spending bill to avert another shutdown later in the fall or the winter, or even attach the broader disaster aid package onto a combination of spending bills. Lawmakers sometimes call these "minibuses." That is because it is not an "omnibus" bill. HURRICANE IDALIA PREDICTED TO ‘MAKE HISTORY’ AS STORM SURGE BARRELS COASTAL COMMUNITIES Twelve annual spending bills run the federal government. Emergency money for disasters in any form is known as a "supplemental" spending package. In other words, a "13th" or possibly "14th" spending measure, on top the customary 12. However, this is where foreign policy enters the picture. There is a stark divide among Republicans about providing aid to Ukraine. President Biden has already made a supplemental spending request to Congress to assist Ukraine. So, is that a "15th" spending bill? Probably not. FLORIDA GOOD SAMARITAN HELPS DRIVER STUCK IN HURRICANE IDALIA FLOODWATER Only so many legislative trains depart each year from the appropriations train station. Congress rarely tackles the 12 annual appropriations bills on an individual basis anymore. Lawmakers usually dump all federal spending into a massive "omnibus" spending package which tackles all discretionary spending (the portion of spending which Congress controls, not "entitlements" like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security) in a fiscal year. Or, Congress may do several "minibuses" or stopgap measures. So, if there is additional disaster aid in any form, or money for Ukraine, it is likely lawmakers mash it together in a broader bill. That said, it is not out of the question that lawmakers do a supplemental spending bill for FEMA or down the road after the damage assessments from Hawaii and Florida are complete. It is less likely that Congress would do a supplemental spending bill just for Ukraine. In short, disaster money and Ukraine money probably ride together somewhere. Why? This is called "logrolling" on Capitol Hill. Congressional leaders begin "rolling" the appropriations logs down Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are reluctant to step in the way to stop the logs, lest they get run over. Imagine a lawmaker who needs disaster aid, but opposes assistance for Ukraine. Will they oppose that bill? Hard to say once the logrolling begins. Attaching the semi-unpopular Ukraine aid to the more popular disaster aid package enhances the chances that both spending packages pass. Congress does these combo bills all the time. That said, even before Idalia was on the radar, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., pushed to separate the disaster money from Urkaine assistance. A number of high-profile lawmakers are now heading to Hawaii to survey the damage and assess needs there. The severity of the storm will intensify the spending debate on Capitol Hill as Congress returns to session.

An Alabama legislator was arrested Tuesday on felony voter fraud charges accusing him of voting in a district where he did not live. Republican Rep. David Cole of Huntsville was arrested on charges of voting in an unauthorized location, according to Madison County Jail records. The details of the charge were not immediately available in court records, but the arrest comes after accusations that Cole did not live in the district in which he was elected. Cole, a doctor and Army veteran, was elected to the House of Representatives last year. POLL WATCHER SUBMITS AFFIDAVIT ALLEGING HOUSTON JUDGE AND ELECTION STAFF COMMITTED VOTER FRAUD: REPORT Voter fraud is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The Alabama attorney general's office is prosecuting the case against Cole, a spokeswoman confirmed. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter issued a statement Tuesday saying he had learned of Cole's arrest and is waiting to learn more details. "In recent years, the Alabama House has prioritized legislation that promotes election integrity, and we believe that any allegation of fraud must be addressed regardless of the party, public official, or candidate involved," Ledbetter said. Elijah Boyd, the Libertarian candidate in the district, had filed an election challenge in civil court, arguing Cole did not live in District 10 and was not eligible to represent the district. Court records were not immediately available to show if Cole has an attorney to speak on his behalf. His attorney in the election challenge is not representing him in the criminal case. Cole was released on bond, according to jail records.

House Republicans plan to examine the Biden administration's response to the deadly wildfire in Maui, House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said Wednesday. President Biden faced heavy criticism for his slow response to the wildfire, and many Maui residents have said the federal government did little to support them after the blaze. More than 110 people died in the tragedy, and search efforts are still ongoing. "The response by federal, state, and local officials to the catastrophic wildfire in Maui raises serious questions and Americans, especially those impacted by this tragedy, deserve answers," Comer said Wednesday. "As recovery efforts continue, the House Oversight Committee has a responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and effectively." "To minimize the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars, the Oversight Committee will examine the federal government’s response in Maui and work with other committees of jurisdiction to ensure accountability," he added. BIDEN BLASTED FOR COMPARING KITCHEN FIRE IN HIS HOME TO DEVASTATING MAUI BLAZE: ‘ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING’ Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for comment, but they did not immediately respond. Critics blasted Biden for refusing to acknowledge the fire earlier this month, telling a reporter he had "no comment" on the then-rising death toll while on vacation in Delaware. MAUI RESIDENTS SHRED BIDEN FOR 'TONE-DEAF' COMMENTS DURING 'MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR PHOTO-OP' VISIT: 'OUTRAGEOUS' The president and first lady Jill Biden did not visit the island until more than a week later on Aug. 21. There, he made another misstep by comparing the deadly wildfire to a kitchen fire in his home. "I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, of what it was like to lose a home," Biden said during his visit. "Years ago, now 15 years, I was in Washington doing ‘Meet the Press.' … Lightning struck at home on a little lake outside the home. Not a lake, a big pond. It hit the wire and came up underneath our home, into the … air condition ducts. "To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my '67 Corvette and my cat," he said. HAWAII DEMOCRAT SAYS BIDEN'S ‘NO COMMENT’ ON WILDFIRES ‘SHOCKING’: ‘I WOULD EXPECT MORE’ Residents also complained of a lagging response by FEMA, though the White House says it was working with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green throughout the crisis to provided anything needed.