Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth as Congress returned to Washington today, filing them as privileged to force action within two legislative days. The articles center on War Powers Resolution violations in the Iran conflict, Caribbean strikes on suspected traffickers, and the January operation that pulled Nicolás Maduro out of Caracas. Hakeem Jeffries has already declared himself a "hard yes," and a handful of Republicans may join.
Sen. Ron Johnson is leading a push to postpone Senate Republican leadership elections, with five senators signing on to force a conference-wide reckoning after last week's losses. Democrats took back both chambers, with at least 30 House Republicans ousted. The fight is less about who holds the gavel than whether the conference is willing to diagnose what went wrong.
Wholesale sales climbed 2.8 percent in September to $840.1 billion, running 19.8 percent above a year earlier, with strength concentrated in manufacturing, technology, and business investment. That lands alongside 165,000 new jobs last month against a 65,000 consensus and unemployment ticking down to 4.1 percent. October CPI drops tomorrow, with annual inflation expected to hold at 3.7 percent.
The Secret Service arrested two people after a vehicle crashed at a barricade near Lafayette Park. Authorities say one suspect, a Venezuelan national in the country illegally, was in a stolen vehicle with multiple firearms and had made threats against President Trump. The investigation is ongoing.
President Trump said today that renewed strikes on Iran are "highly unlikely" if negotiations produce a strong agreement, while insisting American forces stay ready. He met Qatar's prime minister for roughly 45 minutes at midday, with JD Vance now leading indirect diplomacy through regional intermediaries. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tempered expectations, calling Tehran's demands "outrageous and ridiculous."
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven opened two days of talks in Paris focused on Iran and Ukraine, with allies pressing for clarity on Washington's approach. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to meet Ukrainian and Russian officials in the UAE this week to test possible compromises. Missile strikes across Ukraine wounded at least nine people Saturday as both sides positioned ahead of the talks.
Trump said today he believes he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a trilateral meeting during his visit to China next week. No agenda has been confirmed, and a former NATO commander warned that Moscow's goal is carving the world into spheres of influence. The trip would be the highest-stakes diplomatic swing of his second term.
NASA announced that SpaceX, Blue Origin, and six other aerospace firms can compete for up to $10 billion in contracts to haul cargo and infrastructure to the Moon, aimed at a permanent base at the lunar south pole. SpaceX will use Starship to place communications satellites between Earth and the Moon in 2028. Artemis III tests spacecraft and landing systems in Earth orbit in 2027, with a crewed landing targeted for early 2028 on Artemis IV.
American Heart Association research presented this month found caffeine-and-stimulant energy products linked to cardiac arrest reports eleven times more often than non-stimulant products. Some energy drinks carry three times the caffeine per ounce of brewed coffee, and some pre-workout powders more than twelve times. Researchers caution the underlying FDA reports are voluntary and may be incomplete.
The MSC Seascape was ordered back to port in Texas today, just one day into a weeklong voyage to Mexico and Honduras, after a suspected homicide aboard. The FBI has opened an investigation and is interviewing passengers and crew. Thousands of vacationers had their week canceled before the ship cleared the Gulf.
