
Senate still in limbo on California EPA waivers
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso and other top Republicans have been predicting action this week on legislation to kill California's new vehicle emissions limits.
But the man who sets the chamber's calendar, Majority Leader John Thune, doesn't appear ready to pull the trigger on defying the parliamentarian to achieve a goal popular with Republicans and some Democrats.
'No announcements to make,' Thune said when asked about the issue Monday. 'If and when we're able to move, you'll know it.'
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The House already passed three Congressional Review Act resolutions against Biden administration EPA waivers for California's rules, including mandates that would phase out gasoline-powered cars.
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26 minutes ago
Bolivia reinstates a leftist challenger but keeps former leader Morales off the ballot
LA PAZ, Bolivia -- Bolivia's electoral tribunal on Friday included leftist Senate leader Andrónico Rodríguez on the list of presidential candidates approved for the ballot but excluded the powerful former socialist leader Evo Morales — the other major thorn in the president's side. As tensions escalate in the run-up to Bolivia's Aug. 17 elections, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reinstated Rodríguez, a 36-year-old political upstart with close ties to Morales and roots in the ex-president's rural coca-growing stronghold, weeks after suspending his candidacy on technical grounds in a decision that shocked many Bolivians. 'We are the candidate of the people,' Rodríguez said in a speech welcoming the revival of his campaign. 'Our primary concern has been to wage the legal battle, and in the end, the power of the people had to prevail.' With the ruling Movement Toward Socialism party, or MAS, riven by dysfunction and division over President Luis Arce's power struggle with his former mentor, Morales, supporters of the senate leader see him as the only chance for MAS to beat the right-wing opposition and salvage its decades-long political dominance. President Arce, widely blamed for accelerating Bolivia's worst economic crisis in 40 years, dropped out of the race last month. Opinion polls show that his pick for the presidency, senior minister Eduardo del Castillo, has inherited the president's unpopularity. Arce's government insists that its main rival, Morales, is constitutionally barred from running. Morales accuses Arce of waging a 'judicial war' against him. In leaving out Morales, the tribunal opened the potential for further turmoil: Morales has called on his supporters to take to the streets to demand his eligibility. Over the last week his followers have blockaded some of the main roads around the country, adding to a sense of crisis as merchants and truckers rise up in outrage over surging food prices and severe fuel shortages. Morales, who governed Bolivia from 2006 to 2019, has been holed up in the country's tropics for months, surrounded by fiercely loyal coca-farmers, as Arce's government seeks his arrest on charges relating to his sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. A constitutional court filled with judges beholden to Arce has disputed the legality of Morales' fourth candidacy and barred him from the contest. 'The constitutional court acts like a sniper ... restricting and enabling electoral participation upon request,' he said in response to his disqualification. 'The order is clear: Hand over the government to the right and legitimize the election with negotiated candidates who will protect their backs.' Morales, whose own loyalists packed the same court when he was president, points to an earlier court ruling that paved the way for his 2019 presidential campaign, that said it would violate his human rights to stop him running. Morales' bid that year for an unprecedented fourth term ultimately sparked mass protests and led to his resignation and brief self-exile. The conservative opposition to MAS is also fractured, with at least three right-of-center candidates vying for the presidency and no clear frontrunner. All of them are little-known abroad but well-known within Bolivia, where they have run for president or served in government in the past: Jorge 'Tuto' Quiroga, former president from 2001-2002, Samuel Doria Medina, a former cement tycoon and planning minister, and Manfred Reyes Villa, the mayor of Bolivia's major central city of Cochabamba.

Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
Who Is the Ex-NASA Nominee Pushed to Spotlight by Musk-Trump Spat
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and formerly the nominee for President Donald Trump's NASA Administrator, has received scrutiny over his past donations amid growing public tensions between Trump and Elon Musk. Trump highlighted Isaacman's past donations—which In announcing the decision last week, Trump cited a 'thorough review of prior associations' and said that he would nominate an individual who would put 'America First in Space.' Isaacman had been suggested for the top space position by Musk, who heads SpaceX, the world's most valuable private space company. Isaacman helmed several spaceflight missions operated SpaceX, including the 2021 Inspiration4 and the 2024 Polaris Dawn, where he participated in the first private spacewalk. Isaacman accumulated his wealth through Shift4 Payments, the payment processing company he founded in his parents' house at age 16. He is also the founder of Draken International, an aerospace defense contractor. Trump has highlighted the fact that Musk knew Isaacman 'very well,' but said that Isaacman was a 'Democrat,' and that his nomination was 'inappropriate.' 'He happened to be a Democrat—like, totally Democrat,' Trump said. 'I say, you know, look, we won. We get certain privileges, and one of the privileges is we don't have to appoint a Democrat,' Trump told reporters last week. The NASA logo in the Webb Auditorium at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2022. STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images A senior administration official told The Epoch Times, that Isaacman's nomination wasn't pulled because of Musk and that other administration officials and nominees suggested by Musk aren't affected. 'Jared Isaacman should have never been picked,' said the senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. In a June 4 podcast 'I want to be overwhelmingly clear. I don't fault the President at all. I fully support him,' Isaacman said. Isaacman did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the U.S. Steel Corporation – Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pa., on May 30, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times Speaking of his nomination interview, he praised Trump for a depth of knowledge about the space program and China. 'The President was incredibly knowledgeable. I was impressed,' he said, noting they spoke a lot about the Chinese Air Force. After leaving the Trump administration as a special employee last week, Musk has criticized the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the president endorsed, over its potential fiscal impact on the federal government, calling the tax and spending package an 'abomination.' Trump has since threatened to pull federal subsidies and contracts for Musk's companies, saying it would be the 'easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars.' Musk is the CEO of spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX and electric vehicle maker Tesla.

USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trump takes aim at Musk's government contracts but says ex-pal can keep White House key
Trump takes aim at Musk's government contracts but says ex-pal can keep White House key Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump gives his thoughts on Elon Musk amid clash on bill President Donald Trump responded to Elon Musk's criticism of his "big, beautiful bill" with disappointment as Musk responded on X. WASHINGTON — Their breakup was full of insults and acrimony, but President Donald Trump says Elon Musk can keep his golden key. "I don't take things back, I gave him a key, he tried very hard," Trump said of his former DOGE head. The golden key, etched with the White House insignia, is not a real key but symbolizes respect and honor from the president. Trump and Musk had a public falling out this week after the billionaire, who worked part-time for the federal government until last month, waged a war on the president's tax bill over it's projected $2.5 trillion price tag. The fight spiraled as the pair traded attacks, and the two men stopped speaking. Trump told reporters on June 6 that he was not interested in reconciling with Musk. Elon Musk hits back after Trump threatens contracts. SpaceX's government ties, explained In social media posts on June 5, the president said he asked Musk to leave his post spearheading the DOGE initiative and threatened to cancel billions of dollars of the SpaceX founder's federal contracts. Trump said the following day that he was serious about ending the government contracts —and would do so if he thought it was in the financial interest of the country. 'We'll take look at everything. I look at everything. He's got a lot of money. He gets a lot of subsidy," Trump told reporters on June 6. "Only if it's to be fair for him and for the country, I would certainly think about it." Musk responded by saying he would decommission SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft immediately. He said in another post that without his help, Republicans would have lost the House and Senate and Trump would not currently be the president. A Washington Post analysis found that Musk's companies have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits over the years. SpaceX has about $22 billion in government contracts alone, Reuters reported. Trump says he's 'not thinking' about ex-pal Musk While the country might be twittering about his breakup with Musk, the president said on June 6 that his focus was squarely on a cache of complex international issues. 'Honestly, I've been so busy working on China, working on Russia, working on Iran ... I'm not thinking about Elon Musk," Trump told reporters riding with him on Air Force One to his New Jersey golf club. He also claimed he had not thought about whether or not he would keep his new Tesla. SpaceX works closely with the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. But the president told reporters the federal government can survive without its partnerships with Musk's companies. 'The U.S. can survive without almost anybody," Trump said. "Except me." Contributing: Joey Garrison of USA TODAY.