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In a stadium that has in its day danced to the tune of many different teams from many different sports – the Kangaroos and the Jillaroos, the Reds and the Roar, the Matildas, the Broncos and the Dolphins – it’s the Lions that will fill the place on Wednesday in Brisbane.

Formerly the site of a burial ground and then Lang Park sports stadium, named after a particularly fiery Presbyterian minister from Greenock in Renfrewshire, the Suncorp stands on some interesting terrain in the inner city.

When people say there’s an elephant in the room in this place they’re literally talking about an elephant. Carley, a circus animal, was a beloved performer on this land in the 1950s, so much so that they buried her here after the poor thing performed her last trick for the entertainment of the masses.

The Queensland Reds – coached by Les Kiss who for six years was an assistant with Ireland and for another three was the director of rugby with Ulster – will be looking to do a different kind of burial.

Much of the preamble to the Lions’ second game on Australian soil has, unsurprisingly, centred around the half-back partnership of Scotland’s Finn Russell and Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park, two players that serve as a constant reminder that rugby, though a playground for big beasts, can still be artistic and beautiful.

Their combination is one that will have people shifting forward in their seats with quickening pulses. Rugby is forever in danger of eating itself with its inexorable march towards grunt and aggression, but these two remind you of why you might have fallen in love with rugby in the first place.

Not many have ever had their rugby heart stolen by a one-dimensional big banger. But Russell and Gibson-Park and their potential to thrill? That’s different.

They’ve never played together, but Wednesday is the night it happens and if it’s all right then we’re going to be seeing a whole lot more of it in the Saturdays to come.

They’re very different people – Russell gregarious and charismatic, Gibson-Park quiet and laidback – but they’re one and the same when it comes to how the game should be played: fast and furious, off the cuff and adventurous.

Scrum-halves are supposed to be loud and bossy, but Gibson-Park isn’t either of those things. His Lions and Ireland coach Andy Farrell calls him horizontal, such is his unflappable personality.

His speed of thought is electrifying, his accuracy when firing passes that are so on the money that they can eliminate two and three defenders in an instant is unerring.

His quick taps bamboozle defences, his support lines mess with their heads, his ability to scan a field and know in an instant where the space is is a large part of the reason why Ireland have been so consistent over so many years. He’s a totem of that team – tiny but towering at the same time.

It’s said that there is only one Antoine Dupont, but that’s not really true. There’s one and three-quarters and the three-quarters is Gibson-Park. At his best, he’s very much in the same conversation as the great Frenchman.

And now we get to see him play with Russell, the great conductor at 10, a figure of growing authority on the back of a confidence-boosting and trophy-laden season with Bath.

The double threat is what Lions’ fans have wanted to see. Normally a coach wouldn’t necessarily play his first-choice 10 on Saturday and Wednesday, but Farrell is making an exception in Brisbane because he, as much as anybody else, is mustard keen to see how these two will gel. Why wait? Just crack on.

They’ve had a few training sessions but no game time together. Will the lack of familiarity get in the way or will it be chemistry from minute one? Intriguing.

June 30 (UPI) — Two U.S. House members — Democrat Dwight Evans and Republican Don Bacon — announced Monday they will not seek a third term in 2026 after both have served since their 2016 elections.

Evans, 71, has represented Philadelphia and Bacon, 61, in Nebraska, including Omaha.

Evans, who suffered a stroke last year and has missed several months of votes, had intended to run again in Pennsylvania’s heavy Democratic Third Congressional District.

Bacon is moderate in Nebraska’s Second Congressional District, which was won by Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid to become president last year and President Joe Biden in 2020. That gave each of them an electronic vote in the state, which is not winner-take-all.

The U.S. House currently has a breakdown of 220 Republicans and 212 Democrats with three vacancies after the deaths of three Democrats.

Longtime Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an 81-year-old Democrat from Illinois, said earlier this year she wouldn’t run again.

Republican Mark Green, 60, of Tennessee, said he will retire after the budget policy bill goes through Congress.

Dwight Evans

“Serving the people of Philadelphia has been the honor of my life,” Evans said in a statement. “And I remain in good health and fully capable of continuing to serve. After some discussions this weekend and thoughtful reflection, I have decided that the time is right to announce that I will not be seeking re-election in 2026. I will serve out the full term that ends Jan. 3, 2027.”

He succeeded Chaka Fattah, who resigned after being indicted on federal corruption charges.

“I am deeply proud of what I have been able to accomplish over my 45 years in elected office — from revitalizing neighborhoods block by block to fighting for justice, economic opportunity, investments in infrastructure and education,” he said. “I cannot express the gratitude that I have for the trust that voters put in me as their voice in both state and federal office. It has been a privilege of a lifetime to serve as their advocate in government.”

Evans was elected as the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in 1990, serving 20 years.

Evans said he has remained “rooted in his neighborhood” throughout his career, and lived just blocks from where he grew up in the city.

He was a public school teacher and community organizer with the Urban League until he began working in government at 26 in 1980. He was elected to the state’s House of Representatives.

Politico reported there could be a fierce battle between establishment Democrats and progressives, including socialists.

State Sen. Sharif Street on Monday posted on X his intention to run for Evans’ seat, writing “I’m in.” Street, who has worked with Republicans on some issues, is chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

Two state representatives, Chris Raab and Morgan Cephas, told WCAU-TV they are considering seeking the seat. They are both progressives.

Don Bacon

“After three decades in the Air Force and now going on one decade in Congress, I look forward to coming home in the evenings and being with my wife and seeing more of our adult children and eight grandchildren, who all live near my home,” Bacon said in a statement.

“I’ve been married for 41 years, and I’d like to dedicate more time to my family, my church, and the Omaha community,” he added. “I also want to continue advocating for a strong national security strategy and a strong alliance system with countries that share our love of democracy, free markets and the rule of law,” he added.

At times, he has not gone with what other Republicans, including President Donald Trump, want.

He told The New York Times in an interview removing deportation protection for Afghans in the U.S. was wrong and has criticized Trump’s position on Russa’s war with Ukraine. He was the only Republican to vote against changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

“It’s one thing when you have the opposing party fighting you, but when you have divisions in your own party, you know — it makes it harder,” he said in May at an Omaha roundtable with business leaders to discuss Congress’ tax bill.

Bacon approved the spending bill, which went to the House by a 215-214 margin. If the Senate approves the bill and with changes, it goes back to the House.

“I think the Senate has done some new provisions in there that are concerning … But there’s a lot of amendments being voted out today. So I’m going to keep my powder dry, see how it turns out,” Bacon told reporters.

Bacon, who was born in Chicago, served 29 years in the U.S. Air Force.

He served as an aide to U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in Nebraska’s First District, and a professor at Bellevue University in Nebraska before running for office.

Bacond is a member of House Armed Services Committee, and chairman of the conservative-centrist Republican Main Street Caucus in the House.

No one has announced plans to run in either primary.

WASHINGTON — Two-term Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Sunday that he will not seek reelection next year, an abrupt announcement that came one day after he staked out his opposition to President Trump’s tax and spending package because of its reductions to healthcare programs.

His decision creates a political opportunity for Democrats seeking to bolster their numbers in the 2026 midterm elections, creating a wide-open Senate race in a state that has long been a contested battleground. It could also make Tillis a wild card in a party where few lawmakers are willing to risk Trump’s retribution by opposing his agenda or actions. Trump had already been threatening him with a primary challenge.

“In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” Tillis said in a lengthy statement Sunday.

Tillis, who would have been up for a third term in 2026, said he was proud of his career in public service but acknowledged the difficult political environment for those who buck their party and go it alone.

“I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability,” Tillis said in a statement.

Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate.

Trump, in social media posts, had berated Tillis for being one of two Republican senators who voted Saturday night against advancing the massive bill.

The Republican president accused Tillis of seeking publicity with his “no” vote and threatened to campaign against him next year. Trump also accused Tillis of doing nothing to help his constituents after last year’s devastating floods.

“Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER,” Trump wrote.

The North Carolina Republican Party chairman, Jason Simmons, said the party wishes Tillis well and “will hold this seat for Republicans in 2026.”

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chairman of the campaign arm for Senate Republicans, did not mention Tillis in a statement but said the party’s winning streak in North Carolina will continue. Scott noted that Trump won the state three times.

Democrats expressed confidence about their prospects.

Former Rep. Wiley Nickel, who announced his candidacy for the Senate seat in April, said he was ready for any Republican challenger.

“I’ve flipped a tough seat before and we’re going to do it again,” Nickel said in a statement.

Some said Tillis’ decision is another sign of the dramatic transformation of the Republican Party under Trump, with few lawmakers critical of the president or his agenda remaining in office.

It “proves there is no space within the Republican Party to dissent over taking healthcare away from 11.8 million people,” said Lauren French, spokesperson for the Senate Majority PAC, a political committee aligned with the chamber’s Democratic members.

Tillis rose to prominence in North Carolina when, as a second-term state House member, he quit his IBM consultant job and led the GOP’s recruitment and fundraising efforts in the chamber for the 2010 elections. Republicans won majorities in the House and Senate for the first time in 140 years.

Tillis was later elected as state House speaker and helped enact conservative policies on taxes, gun rights, regulations and abortion while serving in the role for four years. He also helped push a state constitutional referendum to ban same-sex marriage, which was approved by voters in 2012 but was ultimately struck down by the courts as unconstitutional.

In 2014, Tillis helped flip control of the U.S. Senate to the GOP after narrowly defeating Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan. During his more than a decade in office, he championed issues such as mental health and substance abuse recovery, Medicaid expansion and support for veterans.

As a more moderate Republican, Tillis became known for his willingness to work across the aisle on some issues. That got him into trouble with his party at times, notably in 2023 when North Carolina Republicans voted to censure him over several matters, including his challenges to certain immigration policies and his gun policy record.

“Sometimes those bipartisan initiatives got me into trouble with my own party,” Tillis said in his statement Sunday, “but I wouldn’t have changed a single one.”

Swenson writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Lisa Mascaro and Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Makiya Seminera in Raleigh, N.C., contributed to this report.

June 29 (UPI) — Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C, said Sunday that he would not seek re-election, opening up a seat in a state that was already considered a battleground in the 2026 midterm elections.

Tillis made the announcement after voting against a procedural measure Saturday night to clear the way for debate on the Senate version of the Trump administration’s budget reconciliation bill.

“As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term.” Tillis said in a statement sent to media outlets.

“That is true since the choice is between spending another six years in Washington or spending that time with the love of my life Susan, our two children, three beautiful grandchildren, and the rest of our extended family back home. It’s not a hard choice and I will not be seeking re-election.”

President Donald Trump threatened Tillis with a primary challenge in N.C. in the 2026 midterms following the GOP Senator’s vote against moving the budget bill to the Senate floor for debate.

Trump took to social media to criticize Tillis.

“Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account Saturday night.

In a statement following the vote Saturday night, Tillis said he was putting the interests of his constituents above party politics.

“I did my homework on behalf of North Carolinians, and I cannot support this bill in its current form,” Tillis wrote.

“It would result in tens of billions of dollars in funding for North Carolina, including our hospitals and rural communities.”

Tillis also noted that proposed cuts would impact rural hospitals and fall squarely on Medicaid recipients who rely on the program as their only source of medical insurance.

June 21 (UPI) — Leaders of many European nations say they need to do more to develop technological infrastructure to ensure digital sovereignty instead of relying on services from global tech firms.

A recent forum discussion on the market dominance of global corporations assessed the “blurring of the boundaries between economic and political control” among European nations by tech firms.

A consensus of attendees at the ongoing Berlin Summit 2025 agreed European nations need to coordinate their efforts to develop infrastructures to “avoid path dependencies and long-term dependence on global platform players,” Forum New Economy reported on Friday.

“European countries are highly dependent on companies from the USA and China in a variety of technological infrastructures, from cloud services and social media to generative artificial intelligence,” Forum New Economy reported.

Such companies dominate European markets and are increasing their control of digital infrastructures, innovation networks, supply chains, data flows and research agendas.

An example is Microsoft earlier this year suspending the business email account for International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan.

The action occurred within months of the ICC issuing a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Although the tech firm suspended Khan’s ICC email account, Microsoft officials said it still is providing services for the ICC.

The company also announced their intent to support the digital sovereignty of European nations.

“We’ve operated in Europe for more than 40 years, and we have been and always will be a steadfast partner to Europe,” Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said in a social media post on Friday.

Microsoft is supporting European sovereignty and that of its respective nations with several existing and new tech offerings, Nadella said.

The services include Microsoft Sovereign Cloud, Data Guardian, External Key Management and Sovereign Private Cloud.

The existing and new offerings “bring digital sovereignty to all European organizations” and”unlock new sovereign ways to run private sovereign clouds,” Nadella said.

“These new offerings build on decades of pioneering work in sovereign cloud solutions by ourselves and to our partners,” he added.

Reporting from Sacramento — It’s been nearly four decades since a 25-year-old Frank Lindsay landed on California’s sex offender registry after he pleaded no contest to improperly touching a girl under 14.

He has not committed another crime since then, but state law requires Lindsay’s name to remain on the registry, which the public can see on government websites, for the rest of his life.

The listing cost him a business and sustainable livelihood, subjected him to death threats, prevented him from visiting his daughter’s school and resulted in injuries when he was attacked by an angry, hammer-wielding stranger who broke into his home after seeing his name on the registry, according Lindsay, news accounts at the time and his attorney, Janice Bellucci.

“You can’t work where you want. You can’t live where you want. It makes it virtually impossible to live a normal life. It can make you bitter,” said Lindsay, now 64 and a resident of Grover Beach in San Luis Obispo County.

Now, with more than 105,000 people on California’s registry, some criminal justice leaders, including Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, are looking to overhaul the system.

They recently won state Senate approval of a proposal that would allow the names of those who committed lower-level, nonviolent sex crimes or are judged low risks to reoffend to be removed from the registry after 10 or 20 years.

“The state’s sex offender registry has lost significant value over time because it contains so many low-risk offenders with decades-old offenses,” Lacey said. “Our bill will improve public safety by creating a tiered system that will allow investigators to focus on those offenders who pose the greatest risk.”

The proposal has stirred up deep emotions in a state where voters have, in the past, approved initiatives that are tough on sex offenders.

Opponents of the bill include Erin Runnion, who in 2002 founded the Joyful Child Foundation, an Orange County advocacy group for victims, after the abduction, molestation and murder of her 5-year old daughter, Samantha.

“Californians should be able to find out if someone they met is a convicted sex offender before leaving a child in their care, or going with them on a date, or agreeing to tutor them, etc.,” Runnion said in an email.

California is one of only four states that require lifetime registration of sex offenders. The others are Alabama, South Carolina and Florida.

Current law requires people convicted of specific sex offenses in California to register for life when they leave prison, providing addresses, the names of employers, fingerprints, photos and license plate numbers. The law requires the state Department of Justice to make information on most registered sex offenders available to the public on its website. The website does not include the name of juvenile offenders or those convicted of incest to protect the identity of relatives who are victims.

Sex offenders in California are required to re-register annually, filling out extensive paperwork on their activities and locations because there are rules prohibiting them from being close to schools, parks and other locations where children congregate.

Local authorities spend large amounts of time processing the paperwork, much of it from people who have not committed a crime for years and don’t pose a risk, said state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who introduced the new proposal to reform the system, Senate Bill 421.

“Right now, the sex offender registry is broken and it undermines public safety,” Wiener said, citing the time spent on paperwork for low-risk offenders and the huge list of names that makes it harder for police investigating new crimes to find potential offenders.

He said many early offenders landed on the list because of discrimination by police who targeted gay men who were having sex in parks or in cars during the 1950s and ‘60s.

“Whether you are a sexual predator or an 80-year-old gay man caught having sex in a park in 1958, you are treated the same. You are on that registry the rest of your life,” Wiener told his colleagues during the recent floor debate on his bill.

The law also affects 18-year-olds convicted of statutory rape for having consensual sex with 17-year-olds, he said.

He said those on the registry face barriers to stable housing and employment, often leading to drug addiction and mental illness.

The legislation would create three tiers for how sexual crimes are treated by the registry.

The first tier, where offenders are eligible for removal from the registry after 10 years, includes those convicted of misdemeanor indecent exposure, felony possession of child pornography with intent to distribute and misdemeanor sexual battery among other crimes.

Updates from Sacramento »

The second tier, which would allow removal from the registry after 20 years, includes those convicted of rape, forceable sodomy and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 14, the crime Lindsay committed.

Lifetime registration would still be required in the third tier, for those convicted of repeat felony child molestation, a second offense of a violent and serious sexual crime, kidnapping with intent to commit specific sexual crimes and those deemed “sexually violent predators.”

The latter determination is made by state officials when felons have been convicted of a violent sex offense against one or more victims and are diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes the person a danger to others.

The bill would create a process for sex offenders in the lower tiers to petition for removal from the registry when they became eligible, with cases reviewed by prosecutors.

The measure automatically clears from the registry the names of offenders in the 10- and 20-year tiers if their convictions are 30 years or older, which would include Lindsay.

The bill has drawn bipartisan opposition.

Democratic Sens. Steve Glazer of Stockton and Josh Newman of Fullerton joined eight Republicans in voting against the measure.

“I agree with the goal of the bill to better differentiate the type of offenders, but didn’t feel comfortable reducing the registration requirement for some of the more serious crimes in Tier 2,” Glazer said.

Republican Sen. Jeff Stone of Murrieta opposed any early removal from the registry, saying it is important for residents to know when sex offenders live in their neighborhood.

“Let’s protect victims of sexual predators and maintain the list of sexual registrants to protect the public,” Stone said.

In addition to Lacey, others who support the change include the American Civil Liberties Union of California, the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys, the California Police Chiefs Assn., the Los Angeles Police Protective League and Equality California, a gay rights group.

“By creating a path off for people who are rehabilitated, SB 421 will make our system fairer and more just,” Wiener said.

Lindsay said he paid his debt to society by serving six months in jail for a crime he committed as a young man while he was drunk. He admits he “crossed the line” with the female victim but declined to provide more details.

He is hopeful that the Legislature will end what he said has been the “nightmare” of being kept on the registry for nearly four decades.

“That’s not who I am. It’s what I did approaching 40 years ago,” Lindsay said.

Having his name removed from the list “would be awesome,” he added. “I would be really excited to be able to take my passport and go on a journey somewhere in the world without having to worry about being tagged as a sex offender.”

[email protected]

Twitter: @mcgreevy99

ALSO

More parole agent caseloads exceed limits under new sex offender rules

Debate over sex offenders moves to court as California undertakes prison parole overhaul

Updates from Sacramento

June 19 (UPI) — Peru’s congressional oversight committee has approved a report that recommends removal of President Dina Boluarte, alleging she abandoned her post in 2023 to undergo cosmetic surgeries without notifying Congress or formally delegating her duties.

The committee approved the report after weeks of investigation that included checking medical records, reviewing the presidential schedule and hearing testimony.

According to the report, there is a “high degree of certainty” that Boluarte underwent surgery for cosmetic and functional reasons between June 28 and July 4, 2023.

The panel concluded her absence jeopardized the continuity of presidential leadership, real-time decision-making, national emergency response and the overall direction of state policy.

“The country cannot accept a president stepping away from her duties to undergo personal surgeries without officially recording her absence, as required by Article 115 of the Peruvian Constitution,” said Congressman Juan Burgos, chairman of the congressional oversight committee.

The investigation initially focused on Boluarte’s undisclosed use of luxury watches and other assets. During the probe, documents emerged showing medical expenses tied to cosmetic procedures, prompting the committee to broaden its inquiry — later known as the “surgery case.”

In a national address in December 2024, Boluarte acknowledged undergoing surgery but denied it was cosmetic.

“Yes, I underwent a surgical procedure. It was not cosmetic — it was necessary for my health, essential for respiratory function. … It did not impair my ability to carry out my duties as president,” she said.

However, Dr. Mario Cabani, the surgeon who performed the procedures, told the committee that Boluarte underwent multiple cosmetic and functional facial surgeries.

The report now heads to the full Congress, which must decide whether to admit it for debate and eventually hold a vote on the motion to remove Boluarte from office. The measure requires 87 votes out of 130 to pass.

So far, major opposition blocs support the effort, but lawmakers from Boluarte’s ruling coalition and the Fujimorist bloc have withheld support and did not endorse the report in committee.

If admitted, it would be the sixth attempt to remove Boluarte since she took office in December 2022. Three motions were filed in 2023 and two in 2024. None secured the votes needed to oust her.

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Monday proposed deeper Medicaid cuts, including new work requirements for parents of teens, as a way to offset the costs of making President Trump’s tax breaks more permanent in draft legislation unveiled for his “Big Beautiful Bill.”

The proposals from Republicans keep in place the current $10,000 deduction of state and local taxes, called SALT, drawing quick blowback from GOP lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states, who fought for a $40,000 cap in the House-passed bill. Senators insisted negotiations continue.

The Senate draft also enhances Trump’s proposed new tax break for seniors, with a bigger $6,000 deduction for low- to moderate-income senior households earning no more than $75,000 a year for singles, $150,000 for couples.

All told, the text unveiled by the Senate Finance Committee’s Republicans provides the most comprehensive look yet at changes the GOP senators want to make to the 1,000-page package approved by House Republicans last month. GOP leaders are pushing to fast-track the bill for a vote by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline.

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), the chairman, said the proposal would prevent a tax hike and achieve “significant savings” by slashing green energy funds “and targeting waste, fraud and abuse.”

It comes as Americans broadly support levels of funding for popular safety net programs, according to the poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Many Americans see Medicaid and food assistance programs as underfunded.

What’s in the “Big Beautiful Bill” so far

Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is the centerpiece of his domestic policy agenda, a hodgepodge of GOP priorities that Republicans are trying to swiftly pass over unified opposition from Democrats — a tall order for the slow-moving Senate.

Fundamental to the package is the extension of some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks approved during his first term, in 2017, that are expiring this year if Congress fails to act. There are also new ones, including no taxes on tips, as well as more than $1 trillion in program cuts.

After the House passed its version, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would add $2.4 trillion to the nation’s deficits over the decade, and leave 10.9 million more people without health insurance, due largely to the proposed new work requirements and other changes.

The biggest tax breaks, some $12,000 a year, would go to the wealthiest households, CBO said, while the poorest would see a tax hike of roughly $1,600. Middle-income households would see tax breaks of $500 to $1,000 a year, CBO said.

Both the House and Senate packages are eyeing a massive $350-billion buildup of Homeland Security and Pentagon funds, including some $175 billion for Trump’s mass deportation efforts, such as the hiring of 10,000 more officers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

This comes as protests over deporting migrants have erupted nationwide — including the stunning handcuffing of Sen. Alex Padilla last week in Los Angeles — and as deficit hawks such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul are questioning the vast spending on Homeland Security.

Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer warned that the Senate GOP’s draft “cuts to Medicaid are deeper and more devastating than even the Republican House’s disaster of a bill.”

Trade-offs in bill risk GOP support

As the package now moves to the Senate, the changes to Medicaid, SALT and green energy programs are part of a series of trade-offs GOP leaders are making as they try to push the package to passage with their slim majorities, with almost no votes to spare.

But criticism of the Senate’s version came quickly after House Speaker Mike Johnson warned senators of making substantial changes.

“We have been crystal clear that the SALT deal we negotiated in good faith with the Speaker and the White House must remain in the final bill,” the co-chairs of the House SALT caucus, Reps. Young Kim (R-Calif.) and Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), said in a joint statement Monday.

Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York posted on X that the $10,000 cap in the Senate bill was not only insulting, but a “slap in the face to the Republican districts that delivered our majority and trifecta” with the White House.

Medicaid and green energy cuts

Some of the largest cost savings in the package come from the GOP plan to impose new work requirements on able-bodied single adults, ages 18 to 64 and without dependents, who receive Medicaid, the health care program used by 80 million Americans.

While the House first proposed the new Medicaid work requirement, it exempted parents with dependents. The Senate’s version broadens the requirement to include parents of children older than 14, as part of their effort to combat waste in the program and push personal responsibility.

Already, the Republicans had proposed expanding work requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, to include older Americans up to age 64 and parents of school-age children older than 10. The House had imposed the requirement on parents of children older than 7.

People would need to work 80 hours a month or be engaged in a community service program to qualify.

One Republican, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, has joined a few others pushing to save Medicaid from steep cuts — including to the so-called provider tax that almost all states levy on hospitals as a way to help fund their programs.

The Senate plan proposes phasing down that provider tax, which is now up to 6%. Starting in 2027, the Senate looks to gradually lower that threshold until it reaches 3.5% in 2031, with exceptions for nursing homes and intermediate care facilities.

Hawley slammed the Senate bill’s changes on the provider tax. “This needs a lot of work. It’s really concerning and I’m really surprised by it,” he said. “Rural hospitals are going to be in bad shape.”

The Senate also keeps in place the House’s proposed new $35-per-service co-pay imposed on some Medicaid patients who earn more than the poverty line, which is about $32,000 a year for a family of four, with exceptions for some primary, prenatal, pediatric and emergency room care.

And Senate Republicans are seeking a slower phaseout of some Biden-era green energy tax breaks to allow continued develop of wind, solar and other projects that the most conservative Republicans in Congress want to end more quickly. Tax breaks for electric vehicles would be immediately eliminated.

Conservative Republicans say the cuts overall don’t go far enough, and they oppose the bill’s provision to raise the national debt limit by $5 trillion to allow more borrowing to pay the bills.

“We’ve got a ways to go on this one,” said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).

Mascaro and Freking write for the Associated Press. AP writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.

June 12 (UPI) — Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg announced that he won’t be running for re-election for his role after DNC members voted to redo his election.

Hogg announced on X Wednesday that he would not run in the election so the Democratic party “can focus on what really matters,” adding he would focus on work with Leaders We Deserve a grassroots organization focused on electing young progressives to U.S. and state legislatures.

“I’m thankful to everyone who has supported me in this role. I’m proud to have travelled to 10 states to do 30+ events, raising money for state parties, organizing with young Democrats and getting out the vote for special elections in Wisconsin and Florida,” Hogg wrote. “I have nothing but admiration and respect for my fellow officers. Even though we have disagreements, we all are here to build the strongest party possible.”

DNC members voted 294-99 Wednesday to redo the election of both Hogg’s and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta’s vice chair roles after Oklahoma DNC member Kalyn Free challenged how the vice chair election was conducted in February.

Free alleged the election provided an unfair advantage for the male candidates over the female candidates.

The DNC will hold elections for a new male vice chair from Thursday through Saturday, while a vote on a second vice chair of any gender will run from Sunday through Tuesday.

Hogg’s decision not to seek re-election after his work with Leades We Deserve to primary “ineffective” Democratic incumbents left members of the party, including DNC Chair Ken Martin, displeased.

“I came into this role to play a positive role in creating the change our party needs,” Hogg wrote. “It is clear that there is a fundamental disagreement about the role of a vice chair — and it’s OK to have disagreements. What isn’t OK is allowing this to remain our fucus when there is so much mroe we need to be focused on.”

Martin, who believed Hogg shouldn’t have focused on the primary efforts as an officer of the national party and his frustration was expressed in leaked audio of a Zoom call with DNC officers that was published over the weekend, leading some members to reconsider their votes.

However, Martin commended Hogg in a statement Wednesday “for his years of activism, organizing, and fighting for his generation.”

“While I continue to believe he is a powerful voice for this party, I respect his decision to step back from his post as vice chair,” he said.

Kenyatta, who is now running unopposed for the male DNC vice chair role wished Hogg “the best” in a post on social media.

“I’m grateful to the overwhelming support I’ve received in this re-election from DNC members and I look forward to getting back to work electing Democrats up and down the ballot,” he said.

Head of nuclear watchdog warns Israeli strike may harden Iran’s resolve on nuclear arms as diplomacy stalls.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has warned that an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities could push Tehran closer to developing nuclear weapons as indirect talks between the United States and Iran continue through Omani mediation.

Speaking to i24 News and The Jerusalem Post, Grossi said Iranian officials had cautioned him about the potential consequences of a strike.

“A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran’s determination – I will say it plainly – to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” he said in an interview that was published on Monday.

Grossi added that he did not believe Israel would launch such an operation.

“But one thing is certain,” he said, “The [Iranian] programme runs wide and deep. And when I say ‘deep’, I mean it. Many of these facilities are extremely well-protected. Disrupting them would require overwhelming and devastating force.”

He made his comments as Iran prepares a counteroffer to a US proposal for a new nuclear deal.

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the US offer lacked key elements and failed to address sanctions relief – a longstanding demand from Tehran.

“We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through Oman once it is finalised,” Baghaei said without elaborating on the details.

He also criticised the IAEA’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear programme as “unbalanced”, accusing it of relying on “forged documents” from Israel. The IAEA had recently described Iran’s cooperation as “less than satisfactory”, particularly in clarifying past nuclear activities at undeclared locations.

The US and Iran are trying to strike a new nuclear deal after a 2015 agreement was abandoned by US President Donald Trump in 2018 during his first term.

In a surprise comment last week, Trump said he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to jeopardise the fragile negotiations.

“I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution,” Trump said.

It remains unclear when the next round of indirect negotiations will take place. Baghaei said talks are ongoing but did not give a date for the next meeting

In punishing midday heat, thousands of Palestinians have clambered over fences and pushed through packed crowds to reach life-saving supplies, laying bare the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe inflicted on Gaza by Israel’s three-month blockade of aid.

With the buzz of military helicopters overhead, Israeli military gunfire rattled in the background on Tuesday as desperate crowds struggled to reach an Israeli-United States food distribution point on its first day of operation.

TV footage from Rafah in southern Gaza showed long lines of people funnelling through a wired corridor into a large open field where aid packages brought by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were stacked. Later, desperately hungry Palestinians, including women and children, were seen tearing down fences as people forced their way towards the GHF distribution point.

“We have been dying of starvation. We have to feed our children who want to eat. What else can we do? I could do anything to feed them,” a Palestinian father told Al Jazeera.

“We saw people running, and we followed them, even if it meant taking a risk and it was scary. But fear is not worse than starvation.”

After thousands of Palestinians stormed the aid distribution centre, the Israeli military said its forces did not direct gunfire towards them but rather fired warning shots in an area outside it. It said in a statement that control over the situation had been established and aid distribution would continue as planned.

But Gaza officials accused Israel of failing to manage the aid amid widespread hunger and relentless bombing of civilians, including children.

“What happened today is conclusive evidence of the occupation’s failure to manage the humanitarian crisis it deliberately created through a policy of starvation, siege, and bombing,” the Government Media Office in Gaza said in a statement after the mayhem.

The aid by GHF, a foundation backed by the US and endorsed by Israel, arrived in Gaza despite allegations that the new group did not have the experience or capacity to bring relief to more than two million Palestinians in Gaza.

The United Nations and aid groups say the organisation does not abide by humanitarian principles and could serve to further displace people from their homes as Palestinians move to receive aid from a limited number of distribution sites.

‘Reckless, inhumane plan’

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said seeing thousands of Palestinians storming the aid site was “heartbreaking”.

“We and our partners have a detailed, principled, operationally sound plan supported by member states to get aid to a desperate population,” he told reporters. “We continue to stress that a meaningful scale-up of humanitarian operations is essential to stave off famine and meet the needs of all civilians wherever they are.”

The chaos underscored the staggering level of hunger gripping Gaza. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, 1.95 million people – 93 percent of the enclave’s population – are facing acute food shortages.

Aid groups have warned for months that starvation in Gaza is being used by Israel as a weapon of war.

“This is not how aid is done,” Ahmed Bayram, spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, told Al Jazeera, describing the scene in Rafah as the “inevitable consequence of a reckless and inhumane plan”.

“These are the scenes we have literally been warning about all month now. It spread chaos. It spread confusion. And this is the result,” he said.

“I think the best thing that can be done now is for this plan to be cancelled, to be reversed and for us professional humanitarians in the UN and NGOs to do our job. There are tonnes and tonnes of aid waiting across the border. [It’s a] very simple decision: open the gates and keep them open.”

The GHF, a Swiss-based entity formed in February through back-channel meetings between Israeli-linked officials and business figures, was made the lead distributor of aid by Israel. Meanwhile, Israel has blocked the UN and other international organisations from bringing in aid.

Despite being promoted as a neutral body, the GHF’s close ties to Israel and the US have prompted widespread condemnation. Its former head suddenly resigned this week, citing the foundation’s inability to uphold the core humanitarian principles of “neutrality, impartiality and independence”.

According to a report in The New York Times, the GHF emerged from “private meetings of like-minded officials, military officers and businesspeople with close ties to the Israeli government”.

Israel has said its forces are not involved in the physical distribution of aid although it backs the system’s use of biometric screening, including facial recognition, to vet aid recipients. Palestinians fear it is another Israeli tool of surveillance and repression.

Critics have also warned that the GHF’s structure – and its concentration of aid in southern Gaza – could serve to depopulate northern Gaza, as planned by the Israeli military.

‘This is definitely not enough’

While the previous UN-led distribution network operated about 400 sites across the strip, the GHF has set up only four “mega-sites” for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

In Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary reported that many of the food parcels being handed out were inadequate to sustain families.

Khoudary described a typical food box with 4kg (8.8lb) of flour, a couple of bags of pasta, two cans of fava beans, a pack of tea bags and some biscuits. Other food parcels contained lentils and soup in small quantities.

Although the GHF said it distributed about 8,000 food boxes on Tuesday, which it claimed amounted to 462,000 meals, Khoudary said the rations would barely sustain a single family for long.

“This is definitely not enough, and it is not enough for all the humiliation that Palestinians are going through to receive these food parcels,” she said.

THE family of a chef who was killed in the Bayesian superyacht tragedy want justice for his death, a report claims.

Recaldo Thomas, 59, was among the seven people who died after Brit billionaire Mike Lynch’s yacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm last year.

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Recaldo’s family are now seeking compensation for his tragic death – and they could be in line for a $40 million payout.

The chef’s sister-in-law Joycelyn Palmer told MailOnline: “We just want justice and yes, we will be looking at compensation, someone must pay for what happened.”

Last week a report detailing the “vulnerability” of the yacht revealed how the tragedy unfolded.

A thorough investigation has shown that the ship was likely knocked over by “extreme wind” and was not able to recover.

But Palmer believes the yacht’s 236ft mast may have also played a part in the tragic sinking.

Recaldo’s sister-in-law said: “I looked up the yacht and when I saw the mast I just thought that must have something to do with what happened.

“You can even see it in one of the last pictures he sent us.”

She also claimed the crew were at fault as they had taken the weather for granted and didn’t alert the captain until it was “too late”.

Palmer recalled the emotional turmoil the family experienced in the aftermath of the tragedy.

She said it took six long weeks to get Recaldo’s body, meaning they were unable to have an open-casket funeral and say their goodbyes properly.

Palmer described her brother-in-law as a lovely man who had a heart of gold and an infectious smile.

The family’s lawyer said they were looking at a US lawsuit against “various entities”.

They added that a $40million pay-out would not be out of the question for the “emotional loss”.

Recaldo was among seven passengers who died when the 184ft yacht capsized and sank on August 19.

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Anchored off the coast of Porticello Harbour in Palermo, a downburst of stormy winds hit the boat causing it to topple.

It sunk to the sea floor in minutes and prompted a huge five-day search operation with specialist divers, underwater drones and helicopters.

Recaldo was found dead near the wreck site on August 19, but it took several more days to recover six missing guests including the Brit billionaire and his daughter.

New York lawyer Chris Morvillo and wife Neda also died, as did Morgan Stanley international chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy.

Just two months before the disaster, Lynch had been cleared of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.

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An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch revealed last week that the yacht had a “vulnerability” to lighter winds which the owner and crew may not have known about.

Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: “The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over.

“Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70° the situation was irrecoverable.

“The results will be refined as the investigation proceeds, and more information becomes available.”

The salvage operation for the superyacht is officially underway.

Floating cranes, remote-controlled robots, and specialist divers amongst other marine experts are all helping to recovery the vessel.

But the operation had to be put on pause just days after it started when a diver died.

The diver, who is thought to be a Dutch national, reportedly died when working 160ft below the ocean alongside other recovery workers to cut the boom of the yacht.

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After an unsuccessful attempt trying to cut the section, the divers are believed to have used a blow torch.

Local media speculated that the man was hit by part of the cut boom as it came off whilst he was underwater.

But police said they have launched a probe to understand what exactly caused the man’s death.

According to other local media reports, an underwater explosion was heard by at least one person before the man was found dead.

Inside the Bayesian’s final 16 minutes

By Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter

Data recovered from the Bayesian’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) breaks down exactly how it sank in a painful minute-by-minute timeline.

At 3.50am on Monday August 19 the Bayesian began to shake “dangerously” during a fierce storm, Italian outlet Corriere revealed.

Just minutes later at 3.59am the boat’s anchor gave way, with a source saying the data showed there was “no anchor left to hold”.

After the ferocious weather ripped away the boat’s mooring it was dragged some 358 metres through the water.

By 4am it had began to take on water and was plunged into a blackout, indicating that the waves had reached its generator or even engine room.

At 4.05am the Bayesian fully disappeared underneath the waves.

An emergency GPS signal was finally emitted at 4.06am to the coastguard station in Bari, a city nearby, alerting them that the vessel had sunk.

Early reports suggested the disaster struck around 5am local time off the coast of Porticello Harbour in Palermo, Sicily.

The new data pulled from the boat’s AIS appears to suggest it happened an hour earlier at around 4am.

Some 15 of the 22 onboard were rescued, 11 of them scrambling onto an inflatable life raft that sprung up on the deck.

A smaller nearby boat – named Sir Robert Baden Powell – then helped take those people to shore.

Senators accuse US President Donald Trump of engaging in ‘corruption of US foreign policy’ with defence deals.

A group of United States senators is trying to halt $3.5bn in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar over concerns that the deals will personally benefit the family of US President Donald Trump.

Two “resolutions of disapproval” were submitted on Thursday in the US by Democratic Senators Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Brian Schatz and Tim Kaine, along with Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who often votes with Democrats.

The legislators also issued statements accusing President Trump, who is concluding a trip to the Middle East, of actively engaging in the “corruption of US foreign policy” over the timing of the sales and recent investment deals.

The Department of State this week approved the $1.6bn sale to the UAE of Chinook helicopters and equipment, F-16 aircraft components, and spare and repair parts to support Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters. Initial reporting cited the figure as close to $1.3bn, but the $1.6bn figure was used in a statement from the legislators. The lawmakers are also seeking to block $1.9bn in sales to Qatar of MQ-9B Predator drones and associated equipment, which was approved by the State Department in March.

The legislators accuse Trump of accepting favours in exchange for the deals, citing news from April that the Emirati investment firm MGX would use a stablecoin – a cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to another asset – issued by the Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial to finance a $2bn investment in the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

The Trump family is reported to have made millions off niche cryptocurrencies like the $TRUMP “meme coin” since the president returned to the White House in January.

I know Trump’s crypto scams can seem hard to understand. So I went the Senate floor to break down the most outrageous one.

A foreign government is investing $2 billion in Trump’s coin to get favorable treatment from the Administration. A wild corruption.

Here’s how it works. pic.twitter.com/pxLSlZH2QN

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 13, 2025

In addition to business dealings, the senators also expressed fears that US weapons sent to the UAE could end up in the hands of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which is allegedly backed by the UAE and has played a critical role in Sudan’s civil war.

“The US should not be delivering weapons to the UAE as it aids and abets this humanitarian disaster and gross human rights violations,” Van Hollen said, citing Sudan’s civil war.

The senators also cited Qatar’s offer of a Boeing 747 jumbo for the president’s temporary use as Air Force One. The offer has drawn criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans because it would be the most expensive foreign gift ever exchanged between a foreign government and an elected US official.

“There’s nothing Donald Trump loves more than being treated like a king, and that’s exactly why foreign governments are trying to buy his favour with a luxury jumbo jet and investments in Trump’s crypto scams,” Murphy said in a statement.

When asked about the offer of the aircraft, Trump blamed Boeing’s lack of progress in building a new Air Force One and said he would be “stupid” to refuse a free plane.

“It’s not a gift to me, it’s a gift to the Department of Defense,” he said.

It is unclear when a vote will happen on the joint “resolutions of disapproval”, but the US political news outlet The Hill said that due to the nature of the bills, Democrats will likely force them to the floor of the Senate.