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Today's top stories
The House has effectively killed Republican Rep. Thomas Massie's effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The chamber voted 211 to 204 to send the impeachment articles back to the House Judiciary Committee for review. The move circumvents any potential floor vote on the impeachment and virtually ensures it won't be addressed before the current Congress session ends. Massie had reintroduced the impeachment articles on Monday, accusing Hegseth of high crimes related to the war with Iran and U.S. strikes against drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
- 🎧 NPR's Eric McDaniel describes yesterday's vote to Up First as a game of attendance. There were enough Democrats in Washington to pass the impeachment resolution, but not enough were on the floor to vote, so Republicans had the simple majority. McDaniel spoke to Warren Davidson, a GOP congressman from Ohio, the day before the vote. Davidson said he thinks the war in Iran is unconstitutional, but argued that Hegseth was just a scapegoat for the "status quo politics in Washington."
- ➡️ The GOP had a lot on their agenda yesterday. The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee released a report on its investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. The report concluded that the federal government mishandled criminal investigations into the disgraced financier and failed survivors.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio will be the new minority leader of the House. House Republicans voted yesterday to replace Speaker Mike Johnson, who is stepping down after last week's midterm losses. At 62, Jordan brings experience from the House Oversight and Judiciary committees. The two panels are poised to play a central role in the new Congress as Democrats plan investigations into President Trump and his administration.
- 🎧 NPR's Barbara Sprunt says she viewed the election as a choice between continuity and change, and Jordan clearly represented change. Jordan's selection, along with Stephen Miller's appointment as the president's new chief of staff, highlights a shift towards a combative political approach, Sprunt says. Democratic leadership elections are expected to happen next week and are likely to keep current leaders Hakeem Jeffries in the House and Chuck Schumer in the Senate in place.
U.S. federal prosecutors have indicted three men accused of being Iran-backed operatives allegedly involved in nearly 20 terrorist attacks and attempted attacks in Europe and the U.S. The charges include a plot in September against a British air base where American forces were stationed. The Justice Department says some of these attacks were directed live via FaceTime from Iraq.
- 🎧 Federal prosecutors in Manhattan accuse the men of working for Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the Iraqi militia Kata'ib Hezbollah, both classified as terrorist groups, according to reporter Willem Marx. Seven of the attacks happened in Britain. They included arson, explosives and a near-fatal stabbing of two Jewish men in London. Marx also noted that, in a separate case, British counter-terrorism police have arrested a 41-year-old U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of spying for Russia under the National Security Act. Authorities emphasized that this spying investigation is not linked to the Iran-related case. But Marx says these incidents raise significant concerns about security around American military bases in Britain and the safety of nearby residents.
Veterans in the new Congress
by Quil Lawrence, Veterans correspondent
A Navy admiral fired by the Trump administration is returning to Washington as a Democratic congresswoman. In Virginia, a former Army Colonel beat another former Army Colonel, and a female Navy vet won a rematch to unseat another female Navy vet. In Florida, a staunchly pro-Trump Air Force Vet narrowly fended off a former Army Brigadier General (both also women.) In Montana, two military veterans lost, splitting the votes against a Republican former attorney general with no military background.
What conclusion to draw? There isn't any!
Americans dependably say they admire military service, and political campaigns recruit vets to run on tough races. Whether it works remains an open question, though some research suggests Democrats in particular may benefit from veterans status with voters.
The next Congress includes at least 80 veterans, with a few races still too close to call. And according to With Honor, which supports veteran candidates from both parties who promise to sponsor legislation across the aisle, more than 50 vets in the next Congress have signed their pledge.
But the number of vets is shrinking, down to 15% from the 19% currently in office. That's probably just demographics. Relatively few Americans serve in today's all-volunteer military, while past generations were drafted by the millions to Vietnam and Korea. During World War 2, military service was almost a given for men. When that generation entered politics, both chambers had around 70% veterans for a decade, from 1965 to 1975.
The 120th Congress will host more female vets than ever, about double the last class. Analysis by the Veterans Campaign and the University of San Francisco found that Democrats chose veterans as candidates for the toughest races, in districts President Trump won in 2024 by an average of 22 points.
There's another way vets are serving: as poll workers. The group Vet the Vote recruits veterans and their families to help run elections. Starting from a goal of 150,000 volunteers during the 2024 presidential cycle, their campaign counted more than 175,000 for this midterm, from all 50 states, helping bolster the understaffed and overworked polling officials nationwide. The group says it had volunteers in 4 out of 5 zip codes across the country.
And veterans like to vote. Syracuse University D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families found that vets turned out in relatively higher numbers than civilians in every election since 2014, a difference especially pronounced in midterm elections.
Life advice
Being honest with people can be tricky. Sometimes, deciding whether to say anything at all can be harder than finding the right words to say. Social psychologist Vanessa Bohns says that giving feedback or criticism often feels like a dilemma. But with care, you can make better choices about when to share your thoughts. Bohns has shared three questions with Life Kit that you could consider before voicing your opinion.
- 🗣️ Is this information helpful? Honesty is beneficial if your feedback helps someone improve, avoid embarrassment or learn something about themselves. If your comments are mean-spirited, irrelevant or impractical to enact, it's probably better to stay silent.
- 🗣️ Would I want to hear this? Just because you don't want to share the truth doesn't mean the other person doesn't want to hear it. A 2022 survey found that people often underestimate others' desire for feedback even when it is constructive.
- 🗣️ Do they want your feedback? When in doubt, don't assume you know what someone needs. Pre-assessing how valuable your advice is or how well someone can handle the truth can make well-meaning feedback sound patronizing.
For more guidance on how to share good and bad news, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.
3 things to know before you go
- Volunteer musicians from Musicians On Call perform for veterans at the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and other hospitalized patients nationwide. They typically visit hospitals three to four times a month.
- The Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam came alive recently as a renowned tattoo artist brought 17th-century masterpieces to life on visitors' skin.
- The Professional Women's Hockey League has announced the name of its new women's hockey team: the San José Sea Lions. (via KQED)
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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